Reviews of Gladiator

Gladiator review

Posted : 2 weeks, 1 day ago on 8 December 2009 08:05 (A review of Gladiator)

Oh my God! I was totally blown away by this epic masterpiece from the extremely talented Ridley Scott. This is a historic story that is very emotional with a very powerful dialogue which is very rare not just from Ridley Scott but also of all cinema. It was a very heartfelt story that teaches us all about what both life and death can give us and what they mean. It teaches what afterlife could be like if it actually exists. This film makes a slight possibility that life after death could exist. The way this story is set up is really good because there is a lot of raw emotion, a lot of hard hitting cinematic action effects and with very powerful directing and a very good script. I think I loved pretty much everything about Gladiator. It has a lot of outstanding action with the sound effects and visual effects. It was very intense because we all knew that Maximus was somehow going to win the fight but it was really questionable of how graphic it could be and it certainly was with a lot of very graphic realistic effect to it. It was a very tragic story regarding Maximus losing his wife and son but after that there was a lot of pride that brought that really strong life force so to speak towards his character. This is a film that can make people cry because of the emotional story but it didn't make me cry. Yes, it is a very emotional story but I wouldn't call it heartbreaking and one you could cry at.


Russell Crowe delivers a performance that he will probably be best remembered for. He didn't just deliver a very emotional performance as Maximus but he also created one of the most powerful and coolest characters in cinema history. There was a lot of tears from his eyes and I could easily see the hatred and the rage from Maximus towards Commodus with nothing but vengeance on his mind. Maximus is an ordinary Roman general whose life is turned upside down when he is betrayed by the son of his great friend Marcus Aurelius when Commodus murders his father when he announces that he isn?t dependent enough to become Emperor and wants Maximus as his heir to the throne. Because of Commodus' jealousy he requests Maximus to be executed but Maximus escapes and rushes to his family and they are killed by Commodus' men. He then becomes a slave and a gladiator. A lot of things in Maximus' life changes when he becomes a gladiator. This is my favourite Russell Crowe film and I did love his powerful performance as Maximus but his performance is better and more emotional as John Nash in A Beautiful Mind even though I liked Gladiator more than A Beautiful Mind. Joaquin Phoenix delivers an even more emotional performance as Commodus. What I truly loved about Joaquin's performance in this one was that it was a character that seems very soft with a soft voice and looking like a nice man but when you cross him or when you do something that he doesn't like or approve of he becomes a very fearful and evil character. The evil and jealousy in Commodus came when his father Marcus Aurelius says that he isn't good enough to be Emperor of Rome. Hurt by this and wanting to become Emperor, he murders and suffocates his own father by rapping his arms around him so hard that he couldn't breath. After he finds out Maximus is still alive after requesting his execution, he starts to feel really reeled and feels betrayed by his sister and nephew. Despite of how good Russell Crowe's performance was, Joaquin's was better with a more believable and realistic character. The late Richard Harris's acting as Marcus Aurelius was absolutely brilliant because I could see a lot of emotion and a lot of deep meaning that Richard brought to the character especially coming out of this soft voice. He will be best remembered for Harry Potter and Gladiator. I loved Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou and Derek Jacobi were all awesome aswell. This film has an absolutely outstanding cast and is one of the rare films where all of the actors have delivered top-notch performances.


Ridley Scott directs this to almost complete perfection. He has always had a talent of making action films but with different genres. This is his best work to date and will probably always be his best film. He made this film totally unforgettable and a phenomenon for the ages. Scott shows he can make blockbusters as well as just ordinary not-so-highly grossing films. Gladiator is one of the very few blockbusters that have won Best Picture. Others are like Forrest Gump, The Silence Of The Lambs, Saving Private Ryan, Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King and particularly Titanic. This is a very different type of film as far as story is concerned that Ridley Scott has done. He has done a lot of cool unbelievable stories but this is one of the few that he did make believable. The script was very good with really amazing scenes. I love the scene where Maximus sees Commodus again after believing Maximus was dead. That was such a powerful scene with a lot of fantastic direction from Ridley.


This is Ridley Scott's best work to date and probably always will be. Alien, A Good Year, Thelma & Louise, American Gangster and Blade Runner are behind it on top Ridley Scott films. It is a damn shame that Joaquin Phoenix has quitted acting for music because he had such a great rare acting talent. Gladiator is probably his best film and he will be remembered for that just like he will for his other Oscar nominated performance in Walk The Line. Gladiator is my favourite film starring Russell Crowe and his performance was very much deserved but I thought his performance was better in A Beautiful Mind. Shame he didn't win Oscar for that otherwise he would have the third actor to have had back-to-back Oscars after Spencer Tracy and Tom Hanks. Gladiator made history by becoming 1 of the 2 blockbusters to win Best Picture in the 2000s decade along with The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King. This is my favourite epic film, my favourite action film, it is my dad's favourite film which is a tie with Aliens which is another reason why I love it even more than I already do but most importantly Gladiator is definitely one of my favourite films of all time.

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I Am Entertained!

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 17 August 2008 05:43 (A review of Gladiator)

''My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.''


When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by a corrupt prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.

Russell Crowe: Maximus

Joaquin Phoenix: Commodus

Epic, dramatic, heart-wrenching, action packed and dramatic. Ridley Scott's roman historical masterpiece, forget the still good but flawed kingdom of heaven this is the one to watch.

Russel Crowe gives his best performance of his career. The late Richard Harris and Oliver Reed give high performances and a quality that shines timeless etherality. Joaquin Phoenix is an equal cold maddened son who's hunger and thirst for power is a vision to see.

''At my signal, unleash hell.''

A tale of redemption of a man fighting for good. A cause bigger than himself and to overthrow a tyrant obstructing the birth a republic. Revel in the violence, behold it's beauty and magnificence, wasn't a doubt in my mind that Ridley Scott would reap the rewards of his efforts and win awards galore. People who criticize this film are the same people that ridiculed Blade Runner, Alien, and my message to them is to get stuffed, thats as polite as i can put it.
Gladiator features some wonderful cinematography by John Mathieson. The battle scenes are very graphic. (This movie is not for the squeamish, that's for sure.) There were some scenes in particular that really struck me, such as when Crowe appears to be floating over the ground very fast. The use of colour and colour tones added a great deal to the mood of the movie. Excellent.
The script was being written and re-written as the filming was going on, yet it doesn't show that the actors had no idea how the movie was going to end when they began filming. The acting is terrific. Russell Crowe is wonderfully cast as Maximus. Many reviewers agree that he is now officially a star. Joaquin Phoenix also proves his mettle as the emotionally troubled Commodus, whose behavior and emotion toward his sister could give anyone the creeps. Connie Nielsen makes you believe that, as Lucilla, she really is torn between natural loyalty to her brother and doing what she knows is right. Oliver Reed, in his last performance, is memorable in his role of Proximo, the former gladiator who is the owner of Maximus and brings him to Rome. In short, the actors were brilliant in their roles, not over-acting, but giving subtle, strong performances.

''I don't pretend to be a man of the people. But I do try to be a man for the people.''

The fights staged in Gladiator are masterful set pieces; stylized and captured gloriously. However, the fighting in Gladiator is not unrealistic; it's graphic and bloody. The warriors who battle each other are not super-men, they are normal men, real fighters, who get bashed and beat up at every turn. These soldiers combat in a truly gritty way, they are warriors who need to smell and rub their hands in the earth they battle upon. Chief amongst these mortal combatants is Russell Crowe's, a hero of mythological stance, whose raw aggression on the battlefront, coupled with his powerful expressions (combating and not combating, his silent moments from his execution to his first brawl in the arena are his best) and compelling heroics earned him a well earned Oscar.
These battle-scenes of Gladiator are, of course, extremely well tended to by Ridley Scott who is the master at crafting epic war scenarios (see, I told you fanboy-praise would sneak its way in!). The patient, slow pacing of the film seems to take a sudden halt here, and then fast-forward in an amazingly rapid-fire pace with quick shots, swinging swords, vivid skies and a great score by Hans Zimmer to further emphasize the dramatic mood.
The very culmination of this is not at the end, but rather early. It is the moment that Maximus removes his helmet, reveals his identity and faces the emperor, after a long and ferocious battle. It is a scene so poignant that I always wish it would have been saved until later on in the film, thereby giving it even more weight. But no matter, because rest assured that it is goosebumps-inducing enough.
A gloriously entertaining, heartfelt and carefully crafted war adventure by Ridley Scott in which little feels missing or incomplete. What more could you ask for? Great acting from the cast, I suppose ? well, this is also present in Gladiator. Best of all, the actors have good dialogue to work with so they don't choke on the dated lines. Russell Crowe propels this film with his heroic personality, Connie Nielsen adds introspective depth, and Joaquin Phoenix is excellent as the twisted but idealist emperor Commodurus.

Gladiator is visually stunning; it is the work of a master craftsman. It is also emotionally intriguing, something some Scott films lack. Its soul-searching music (applause to Hans Zimmer) and its ambitious, gorgeous view of the after-life are beautiful. Its truly gritty-edge give it a dirty, gruesome magnificence.

One of my fave films of all times, one i have watched countless times. Near the beginning in the forests was filmed near my relatives too and I've been. Simply breathtaking scope and settings and the music hits your soul.

I am certainly entertained.

''What we do in life echoes in eternity.''

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"My name is gladiator."

Posted : 1 year, 9 months ago on 29 March 2008 12:35 (A review of Gladiator)

Blood, guts, politics, romance, and conspiracy is all in Gladiator and makes for an awesome movie.

Russell Crowe portrays Maximus Decimus Meridius, a general in the Roman army and is loved by Emperor Marcus Aurelius who promises him that when he dies Maximus would become the next Emperor. But the Emperor's son Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix, finds out and murders his father before he is able to announce Maximus' to succeed and becomes the new Emperor. Commodus then tries to kills Maximus but he escapes only to find he son and wife killed. He is picked up by slave traders and is forced to become a gladiator and leads him the rest of the movie to getting his revenge with Commodus.

The acting in Gladiator is exceptional as everyone is perfect fit for their characters. Crowe is steely, vengeful, and compassionate and makes Maximus come alive. Phoenix is a great surprise and plays a wonderful paranoid narcissistic Emperor. And is rest of the supporting cast fills in the movies characters wonderfully giving the movie true depth of character.

Music is great and epic as is should be and gives me chills still.

The scope of the scenes from the wardrobe, sets, and special FX are awesome and truly epic.

Gladiator is absolutely wonderful movie , must see for anyone, and should be a requirement for every guy to see to be considered a man.

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gladiator

Posted : 1 year, 9 months ago on 28 March 2008 04:02 (A review of Gladiator)

gladitor has to be my altime favourite film it has the action the drama and the best story line ever making it my favourite movie and an excellent movie to watch

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Gladiator review

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 18 February 2008 08:50 (A review of Gladiator)

Russel Crowe steals the show as gladiatorial legend Maximus in this epic film documenting the fall and rise of a once revered Roman General.

Loved by the ageing Emperor, Maximus is chosen to succeed him as the Holy Roman Emperor at the expense of his own son, a decision that causes a power struggle between heir and general and results in the execution of Maximus' family. Trained from then on as a Gladiator, Maximus' only desire is to rise through the ranks and face the man who took everything from him. After many memorable arena bouts and a scuppered escape attempt which claims the lives of many of his gladiator friends, Maximus gets his chance to fight the emperor after winning over the Roman people in the colosseum.

Despite being mortally wounded before the fight by the emperor, Maximus manages to defeat his enemy, before being reunited with his family as a champion of the people. The final bout is a fantastic scene and one that endears itself to me the most.

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Gladiator review

Posted : 2 years, 1 month ago on 3 November 2007 08:38 (A review of Gladiator)

One of the most amazing movies ever. That's it, this movie is just brilliant. It took me a while to actually watch the whole thing, but I am so glad I did.

Luckily this was so successful that many people have already seen this, and most of them have given this a great rating. It probably deserves 5 stars, but for not I think I'll give it 4.5. But If I watch it again I'm certain that I'll make my rating higher.

Just the atmosphere that this movie creates is unreal; the fighting scenes are spectacular and the more serious scenes are acted brilliantly. And I have Russell Crowe to thank for that, he truly is amazing. And Joaquin Phoenix was the perfect villain, I can't imagine anyone playing the role better than he did.

The ending is beautiful in itself, this is definitely one of Ridley Scott's best films. If you were like me and haven't seen this yet, you know you should. And I would be really surprised if you don't like this movie masterpiece.

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Low level

Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 8 October 2007 01:44 (A review of Gladiator)

this is solid hollywood entertainment, but nothing more.


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Poonany's Thoughts

Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 27 August 2007 12:29 (A review of Gladiator)

I thought Gladiator was everything a movie should be !! It was refreshing to see such a well done film without the need for cursing or sex. I am surprised at the "R" rating, in that the battle scenes were very tastefully done and the filming did not, as a general rule, focus in on any gore.There is a little bit of the Prince of Egypt in the beginning of the story. A father/leader (Caesar/Pharaoh), two sons, one natural and one adopted, with the future of the nation (Rome/Egypt) at stake. And like the Biblical Esau and Jacob story, one 'brother' steals the father's blessing.In this film evil comes in many forms The brutal war at the beginning, the Emperor of Rome, and the tiger. In myth the chaos monster must be overcome. Maximus' victory over the tigers assures his place as ultimate victor in the story's final ending. He becomes "Maximus the savior." In fact that is a closing line in the film.The stadium scenes resonate with 'Spartacus' and DeMille's 'Sign of the Cross.' They are spectacular to watch and the chariots give it a real 'Ben Hur' feel at times. In fact the whole plot is very similar to Ben Hur.

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Epic Masterpiece

Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 17 August 2007 09:50 (A review of Gladiator)

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next."...

When Russell Crowe takes off this helmet and reveals who he is, and says those lines, i get chills down my back everytime.

I love this movie and every scene in it. I don't know how else to say it. lol

From the very start, when we're shown a roman legion assaulting the barbarians in the woods, and the flame-catapult launch one after the other, followed by a barrage of arrows, and finally cavalry charging thru the woods, I knew this film was gonna be a favorite of mine.

So many memorable scenes, powerful lines, and the ending is just so damn beautiful it nearly 'gets' me everytime. And Joaquin Phoenix! Damn, can anyone else possibly play a villian better than he did? he deserved an Oscar for that role!

If you haven't seen it yet, bloody hell, RUN to the video store and rent it, or better yet, just buy it and then watch it.

And if you've rated this anything less than an 8 out of 10, are you sure you've watched the same movie?? I also noticed someone on my 'friends' list gave this a 1 out of 10 (and she gave a Olsen Twin film a 10 out of 10). So sorry, you're getting booted off my list for such an insult (you know who you are).

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Best Guy Movies

Posted : 3 years, 1 month ago on 7 November 2006 03:27 (A review of Gladiator)

Up there with the Godfather and Goodfellas.

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