Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 4.0
Excitement Personified
Action! Action! Action! That sums up this thrilling movie.The opening battle scene sets the stage for this intense film. It grabs your interest and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire film.Russell Crowe plays Maximus, a once-wronged soldier now fighting for justice. Ancient Rome was nicely replicated in this film, as I truly felt like I was one of the townspeople during the movie. The background setting and props used were fantastic, and they all added to the overall feel of the movie.Crowe was exceptional. Not only did he look the part, but his acting was wonderful in this role. Joaquin Phoenix was downright scary in his excellent role. His evil, incest-loving character was portrayed perfectly, and frankly he made me hate him, so he did his job well. You could feel the intensity between the two every time that they were on the screen together.The plot was a little shaky at parts, but it flowed rather nicely during the the long film. Throw in an amazing musical score by Hans Zimmer, and you have one complete film. The fighting scenes alone are worth the price of the video. These exciting scenes are tremendous and you won't be able to stop yourself from cheering Maximus along.This film is exciting, action-packed, and yes, it is quite graphic. However, the thrill more than makes up for the gory details. Gladiatior will not disappoint.