Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 3.0
MAGNIFICENTLY DONE IN ALL REGUARDS
The plot is original in most respects although it is not for the faint of heart. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone as the casting was excellent and the scenery was extremely well designed and chosen. The movie was very well shot. There are only three things that are still bothering me. The first is when Maximus (Russell Crowe) is being brought to the slave market, I thought that the floating effect that they do goes on a bit too long and does not serve any greater purpose. The second is at the end they showed the compputer generated view of Ancient Rome. That "shot" has always bothered me. I felt that it is not needed and is not relavent to the story they told. The story is of the Gladiator and his perils not about Rome at all, other than the fact that it takes place there. The third thing is in the the final battle Maximus is wounded before hand and with a woulnd like he had he would have been much less alert than he was. I understand that they want to show his perserverance but it is not realistic at all. Overall the movie was execellent.