Gladiator (DVD)

...sure that Russel Crowe and Gladiator would bag the trophies, but it is a surprise how narrowly Ridley Scott missed the coveted prize. I am a little unimpressed by that but we will have to abide by the Academy’s findings, right? Still, it is not bad and I salute you, Gladiator and Russel Crowe and congratulations to the whole crew and to Ridely Scott for the presenatation of such a movie of the highest cinematic achievement. Even though there ...
...enhance their personal greatness. Gladiator is the story of a burly and magnetic General named Maximus (Russell Crowe). He is a farmer having a loving family at his village and he always expresses his desire to go back to them as soon as the war is over. He loves the nature. He wins many wars for the Roman Emperor. The Emperor dies and his son takes over. The fate has another say and Maximus loses everything, his family, his home and is forced to ...

skmm 26.03.2001 (08.05.2001) · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

It's hard to say something that hasn't already been said about the film. It's epic, the scenery is colossal, the set pieces are excellent, the acting is superb, the storyline is believable, the plot is engaging, the characters are realistic, the whole package is one great movie. Surprisingly for me, the 'extras' and featurettes that came on the second DVD added quite a bit to the original enjoyment of the film itself. You have the scenes from the ...
...including the feeding of the Christians to the lions, the extra plotting scenes, some character development scenes, and you really feel for Scott each time he says "I really wish we could have included this one but it was just too long". You feel that if they had all been added, the film would have been very long indeed, but all the better for it. Then you have the diary of Spencer Clark (Lucius, Commodus' nephew in the film), which as well as giving ...

Gonda 29.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

...Salis, designer of sets of Gladiator had outsourced all above mentioned stuff, Roman flags and banners to Rangersons of Delhi. The embroidery work on the back of Commodus’s throne is handiwork of Manjot Rana. The fiberglass work and parts of the sets for Roman city and palace were supplied by Ramji Rao Studios of Hyderabad. There were other such goods from Jodhpur and Jaipur – a total shipment of Rs. 3 crore. Impressive isn’t it? ...
...Making of Gladiator, Production notes, Gladiator Games, Hans Zimmer Profile, Original Storyboard Comparisons & Conceptual Art. Photo Gallery and Cast and Crew Biographies to name a few. Only that the movie is now “OLD” and I wouldn’t encourage buying vis-à-vis renting it. But I had loved watching it on big screen rather than on a DVD. --------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: I also have this review on other ...

AmeetC 13.08.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

It seems as if the folks at DreamWorks could not decide whether they wanted to remake "Ben Hur," "Spartacus," or "The Fall of the Roman Empire," so they decided to remake all three. They took two awesome scripts and one mediocre screen play, stuck them in a blender, and the resulting concoction has become the better-than-average "Gladiator." It borrows most heavily from the mediocre "Fall of the Roman Empire" in terms of characters and basic plot, ...
..."Spartacus" can easily be noted. This is the story of Mad Maximus (Russell Crowe), an Australian who moves to Spain, looks good in a toga and so becomes general of the Roman army. Unfortunately, he refuses to kiss the behind of Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), because he's a bit upset that Commodus killed his own father and Max's best friend Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). One bad thing leads to another, and old Mad Max finds himself mixed ...

whitedevil 18.07.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

Gladiator is a rarity. A film that truly lives up to the hype. It has everything, action, drama, emotion, passion, great acting and a glorious soundtrack. Oh yes and the effects, costumes and scenery aren’t bad either. It’s clear to see when you watch this film why it was recently nominated for 12 Academy Awards, and will probably take most of them. Please don’t read this if you don’t want to know about the film (If you haven’t ...
...From here he becomes a Gladiator and must work his way back to Rome in order to avenge his families, and his friend’s deaths, and kill the Emperor. Plot. Gladiator is far more than just a swords and sandals epic, the plot is quite brilliant. As well as the main story behind Maximus’ bid for revenge and freedom, there are sub plots involving the Government of Rome, the Emperor Commodus and sister Lucilla. The pace of the film is ideal, ...

Nameless 20.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

...became a gladiator. The Gladiator who defied an Empire. The DVD itself: The DVD is made up of two discs. Disc One The actual film Disc Two contains the Special Features: Making Of Gladiator: HBO first look - 25 mins Deleted Scenes with optional Director's commentary Gladiator Games - Roman blood sport: Learning Channel special - 50 mins Hans Zimmer profile - The making of the music for Gladiator Pietro's Treasure Chest: Best deleted footage ...
...and conceptual art Photo Gallery Trailers Animated Menus Production Notes Cast and Crew biographies As you can see the DVD is jammed packed full of Special Features so you will never get bored. The film is quite a longin measuring in at 149 minutes approximately. There are subtitles in a huge amount of languages including: English Greek Polish Czech Hungarian Icelandic Finnish Hungarian and many many more. There is Dolby surround ...

cortex101 22.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

The film Gladiator opens with a mind blowing battle scene set during the last great campaign by Marcus Aurelius (played by Richard Harris). The battle scenes are very bloody and as a result truly portray the horror of war. Marcus Aurelius wants his legacy to history to be the return of Rome to the Roman citizens, to make it a republic once more rather than a hedonistic city ruled by equally hedonistic Caesar’s. This is not a view shared by ...
...power that he expects to be his when his father dies. Marcus realises his son’s ambitions for power will preclude the return of the city to his citizens and decides to pass the position of power to Maximus. On being told of his fathers decision Commodus quite calmly decides that his father has outlived his usefulness by smothering Marcus Aurelius to death so that he can seize the throne of Rome and the Empire. Even as he assumes the throne ...

Guzman 27.04.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

...golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes movie-making back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, Titanic, it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marvelling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marvelling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly ...
...fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. Gladiator's plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, ...

JoeDaunt 26.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

"I once met a man who said that death smiles in the face of everyone. All we can do is smile back." This springs to mind often during the film, as Maximus (gladiator Russel Crowe) cheats death time after time in the bloody arena. This film is a masterpiece, and it sends its star through all warps of life, from Rome's greatest general to Rome's greatest gladiator. The film opens at an amazing battle between Maximus' army and the Barbarians in Germania. ...
...emperor, to everyone elses unknowing. The current emperor's son, Commodus (Joaquim Phoenix), angered by the fact that he is not worthy of becoming the new ruler, gets his revenge on Maximus by killing his father and becoming the emperor. Sentenced to death after he rejects the new emperor, Maximus manages to escape, and finds his wife and son murdered. Captured by rogues, he then becomes a gladiator, and because of his masterful fencing abilities ...

Vaujany 02.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

Gladiator is really too big for the TV screen. It's a big budget, widescreen historical epic that fills your head with ancient battles and glorious victory. From the first great battle against the Germanian barbarians to the fatal climax in the mighty Coliseum, it pulses with childhood dreams of strength and honour, of fighting for a just cause, of victory, of coming home... This was the second time I had seen Gladiator and although it appeared ...
...it had its critics but Gladiator gives us all a chance to dream, just a little, to put ourselves in Maximus's place as the heroic General, forced into slavery, forced into killing just to survive, forced into a world he has no desire to be in yet ultimately vanquishing those odds, of defeating the bad guys and saving the day. And, even though he dies in the end, you know it's what he wants. Mr Scott also deserves a mention. The whole flow of the ...

rvb13 08.06.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

...Maximus is bought by a gladiator trainer (Reed) and soon becomes his biggest attraction. Things obviously get a little heated when the group head to Rome for the new emperors inaugural celebrations. THE FILM Joaquin Phoenix is excellent as Commodus, and as the bad guy he gets the lion’s share (sic) of the best lines. Crowe is excellent in the action scenes, commanding the screen even during the twilight forest battle and frantically paced ...
...other sites of Rome is excellent, with a more realistic ethnic feel than typical films based on this period (for example Ben Hur). The effects in general are excellent, for example, during arena combat scenes the air is full of mud and blood. Ridley Scott concentrates on atmosphere and detail, and this combined with superb editing by Pietro Scalia, produces an excellent spectacle which goes to prove that no matter what people say, no matter how ...

kingsanj 21.04.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

A Roman gladiator stands at the center of the great Colosseum looking up at the emperor, awaiting his decision. With the power of life or death, the emperor's thumb is outstretched, and the monarch's expression unforgiving. He appears poised to signal the gladiator to kill his defeated opponent. This was the scene, captured in the painting Pollice Verso (translation: Thumbs Down) by the 19th-century artist Jean-Leon Gerome that fired the imagination ...
...of the epic action drama "Gladiator." Executive producer and co-head of DreamWorks Pictures Walter Parkes, along with producer Douglas Wick, showed Scott the painting even before giving him the script. Scott recalls, "Walter and Doug came by my office and laid a reproduction of the painting on my desk. That image spoke to me of the Roman Empire in all its glory and wickedness. I knew right then and there I was hooked." Fortunately for the director, ...

ChrisCooper 15.08.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

Gladiator was by far the best film of 2000. Probably the only film of modern times that can truthfully be labeled as an epic! The length of this film is not an issue; I guarantee that you will be glued to the screen for every second of it. It is simply breathtaking! Its 180 AD and the battle between the Roman Empire (at this time they dominated virtually all of Europe) and the barbarians from Germania, the barbarians are the only people left that ...
...Proximo, a man who organizes gladiator fights. The new emperor decided to have a series of 'games' (gladiator fights) and through this Maximus sees a path to Rome and his ultimate revenge. And I am not going to tell you what happens from there. I have to give credit to Ridley Scott, when I heard that Russell Crow would be playing Maximus, I had my doubts to say the least. I have seen his past films and he was very good in them, I just though that ...

the_king 19.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

...skyscraper district. Ladies and gentlemen, Gladiator is Rome in its most glorious hour. Too bad it's not the movie industry's finest hour. Apart from Animal House ("Toga! Toga! Toga!"), it's been decades since ancient Rome sprawled across our theater screens in such epic proportions. Those who revel in the memory of the spectacular worlds of Ben-Hur, Spartacus or Quo Vadis? will find this gargantuan movie from director Ridley Scott as comfortable ...
...There's no denying that Gladiator will wrench viewers' guts (if nothing else out of reflex from all the swords piercing guts up on the screen). It's gripping entertainment brought to us by a director who knows a thing or two about white knuckles (Scott also helmed Alien, Blade Runner and the forthcoming Hannibal). If only our pulse from all the action scenes wasn't slowed to a near standstill by long stretches of expository dialogue. Actors spit ...

martinwright 31.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)

...actual hallmark of this film! Gladiator is the story of General Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) and his legend. The film starts off with the historic Germanic War with General Maximus leading the army. If you have a liking for the war scenes, you will certainly cherish this one. The Romans win the war, under the astute leadership of Maximus, who is very close to the ailing King Aurelius (Richard Harris). Aurelius is not happy with his son ...
...of how he becomes a gladiator and seeks revenge for the killing of his family. He becomes an instant hero with the crowd and wins the heart of the mob (the roman people as mentioned in the movie). Maximus is supported by Hagen, Juba (Djimon Hounsou) and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) in his efforts to make the vision of King Aurelius come true. Lucilla is the widowed elder sister of Commodus and always had a liking for Maximus before her marriage. The ...

Thaaresh_Krishna 09.04.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Gladiator (DVD)