Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 5.0
Battle On, Maximus
Director Ridley Scott (Alien) brings back the glory of the Roman Empire in the grand award-winning blockbuster "Gladiator". After years of loyal service to Rome, heroic Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe) is awarded to become the next emperor of Rome but the emperor's jealous son (Joaquin Phoenix) betrays Maximus and sentences him to death. After escaping his execution, Maximus returns home and finds his family brutally murdered. Alone and broken, Maximus is enslaved and forced to the life of an arena gladiator. With his courage and skill, Maximus earns the admiration of the Roman public and rivals the authority of the new emperor. "Gladiator" is an astounding action-packed movie spectacle that ranks as one of the best movies of 2000. "Gladiator" contains a powerful story, moving performances and a rich music score. The action sequences are truly spectacular. Russell Crowe delivers a powerful performance as the larger-than-life hero Maximus. The fine cast also includes Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris and Oliver Reed in his final film role."Gladiator" 2-disc Signature Edition is certainly one terrific must-have DVD. The award-winning epic picture is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. Its picture quality is flawless and simply fantastic. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is excellent but the DTS sound delivers a remarkable home theater experience. The DVD is full of extras including a detailed audio commentary by director Ridley Scott and production crew, twelve deleted scenes, theatrical trailers, the informative 25-minute "Making of Gladiator" documentary, the 50-minute "Gladiator Games" featurette, storyboards, picture galleries and appealing interactive DVD menus. Overall, "Gladiator" Signature Edition is one of the year's best DVDs and scores a definite "A".