Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 3.0
Elaborate Does Not An Epic Make
I'm very picky when it comes to buying DVDs. Like most people, I prefer instead to rent, and even then I read up beforehand, because I don't like supporting [bad stuff].Gladiator is a megaproduction that you have to watch a few times to really appreciate, with the exception of Ridley Scott's direction. Some criticise it as being too dark, the dialoge stilted and uneventful, or a very jaded representation of Rome, and they're right.As an epic, Gladiator falls far short due to it's narrow-scope and jumbled pace, making for a rough and confusing ride, which leads up to a somber, anti-climactic end that leaves you with the same pervading unease you had throughout the film. Suffice it to say, I didn't really enjoy watching Gladiator at first. Even grand-scale recreations get boring if there is no substance behind them. The performances from Russel Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix drew me in at times. The two DVD set is excellent and packed with a variety of features, and the picture clarity is about the best I've seen.- Louis