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Gladiator (Single Disc Edition)
- Color
- Closed-captioned
- Widescreen
- Dolby
Avg. Customer Review: 
 Veni Vidi---I Liked
Upon vanquishing yet another enemy on the battlefield, Julius Caesar once famously crowed, "Veni, vidi, vici" ("I came, I saw, I conquered"). The same can now be said for director Ridley Scott, who with Gladiator, resurrects and reinvigorates the Roman epic. Moviegoers may not have been pining for such spectacles since speeding chariots last rumbled through theaters in 1959's Ben-Hur and 1960's Spartacus, but the juiced-up Gladiator proves there's still plenty of grappa left in the genre. Gladiator tells the bloody saga of Maximus (Crowe, in a star-making turn), a fictional warrior whom the movie plops down in 180 A.D. amid real figures from Roman history. Maximus's bravery, brains and decency have earned him the respect and loyalty of his troops and the admiration of Marcus Aurelius (Harris), Rome's ailing emperor. When the emperor tells his preening, power-hungry son Commodus (Phoenix) that he intends to name Maximus as his successor and make Rome a republic, Junior goes wonky. Maximus barely escapes with his life and ends up -- the film is murky on just how -- enslaved and forced onto the provincial gladiator circuit (imagine WWF Smackdown! with swords and massive blood loss). A thoughtful script which embraces texture and context, Gladiator (bring on the tigers) is ferocity filled. Its pull is potent, thanks to the razzle-dazzle fight scenes (the opening battle rivals that in Saving Private Ryan) and a magnetic performance by Crowe (The Insider), who shows just the right combination of heart and brawn.
A Rousing Epic.
Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" is a roaring, romantic, moving spectacle about the glory that was Rome. This is a great film, one that brings back classic themes of the cinema that we haven't seen since the days "Spartacus" or "Quo Vadis" or even "Ben-Hur" stirred screen audiences. People have been waiting exactly for this kind of film for a long time. The purpose of a movie like "Gladiator" is to exhilarate the viewer and capture him with red-blooded drama and action. The screenplay by David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson barrows from other films and molds into a riveting story, a simple yet entertaining tale. Ridley Scott (Alien, G.I. Jane) directs with the eyes of a master, with great taste for epic material. The cinematography by John Mathieson is rich, making some scenes look like classic paintings of Ancient Rome. The editor is Pietro Scalia, who won an Oscar for Oliver Stone's "JFK," he creates some great, gritty, bone-crunching action sequences. And of course, the music by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard is effective, moving and a romping experience all in itself. "Gladiator" also works for women, it's not just a guy-flick, it has a nice, sensual feeling to the romantic material. This is fun, moving and enjoyable cinema. "Gladiator" will call you back for a second viewing.
okay
this is a three star movie with a five star dvd. one of the biggest problems with the movie was the first battle. i was expecting braveheart quality but ended with a battle less entertaining than the one in dragonheart. the blurry camera and closeups made it impossible to tell what was happening. if you want to see a movie like this but better, see the last samurai or braveheart.
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