2000, R, 154 minutes

I've never been a huge fan of Roman Empire movies (please don't sacrifice me to the film buff gods), but then again, I hadn't seen one in years. I figured if I was ever going to warm up to the genre, now was the time. With a great actor like Russell Crowe, an experienced director like Ridley Scott, not to mention a solid supporting cast and some amazing special effects, I knew Gladiator would have to be at least decent. Well, thanks to a barrage of stunning visuals and plenty of blood-pumping action, it's actually much better than decent -- it's good.

Although the story behind Gladiator isn't nearly as complicated as it wanted to be, it still serves as a sufficient setup for making us care about the characters and the eventual outcome (and really, that's all that matters). Maximus (Russell Crowe) is a high-ranking general in the Roman army, which has been at battle for 21 of the last 25 years with a number of different countries, the most recent being Germania. After a vicious and bloody opening battle, we learn that Maximus is more than a general, he's close friends with the Caesar (Richard Harris), much to the dismay of the Caesar's son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). After the Caesar dies, Commodus fills his shoes (against his father's wishes), and basically strips away the life Maximus had eagerly been waiting to return to. Thrown into slavery after avoiding death, Maximus becomes a gladiator and fights for his freedom... and revenge -- entertaining thousands of people in the process.

It's no secret that the Roman Empire was a fairly gruesome society, and what makes Gladiator such an intense film is that it embraces this fact rather than toning it down. The violence during the opening battle and the fight sequences in the stadium is fast, full of gore, and definitely intended to be watched on a big, big screen. While at first the choppy and fast-paced editing was a bit distracting and I found myself begging for the camera to pull back a little so we could see things clearly, I eventually realized how clever this technique actually was. By staying incredibly close to the action, director Ridley Scott doesn't allow the audience to distance themselves from the battle. The gore is right in your face and you can't escape -- just like one of the thousands of soldiers or gladiators thrown into combat. Steven Spielberg utilized this same technique during the opening D-day sequence of Saving Private Ryan, although it wouldn't be fair to compare Scott's work to what is probably the best battle sequence to ever reach celluloid.

Despite the amazing and gripping battle sequences, it should be noted that Gladiator certainly has a few flaws. As I said before, the story wasn't as broad-sweeping as it wanted to be, although it came pretty close. We were supposed to care for Maximus not just because he had his life taken away from him, but also because he represented the people. The truth is, I really only cared about Maximus himself and wanted to see him get revenge - all of that other stuff seemed insignificant in comparison. The computer re-creations of ancient Rome are decent, but because you can still recognize cgi as cgi and not something real, it kind of sets you back for a minute and detaches you from the story's setting.

Although the story mostly relies on the action, the cast does a superb job of holding this film up during its weak spots. Russell Crowe doesn't really have any big, emotional lines of dialogue that knock us off our feet, but what he does have is a whole lot of charisma. You see this guy and you just start routing for him immediately; there's something about the way in which he carries himself that I can't quite describe. Also, after gaining 40 extra pounds for his portrayal of Jeffrey Wigand in The Insider, Crowe got himself back into tip-top shape and was physically perfect for the role of Maximus. Just by looking at him it was easy to believe that he could tear any man to shreds. Joaquin Phoenix gives a solid performance as the young Caesar, although I wish the script had given his character some more humanistic traits. The breakthrough performance and certainly one of the most impressive is from Connie Nielsen, a woman in a man's movie (you might recognize her from The Devil's Advocate). Playing the role of Lucilla, Commodus' sister, she's excellent in her portrayal of someone stuck between the two sides of a battle. Hopefully a lot of people will remember Nielsen after this film and we'll get to see more of her in the future.

Fans of huge Roman epics will surely love Gladiator, as will fans of action or war films. Although the story occasionally bites off a bit more than it can chew, the intense battles and solid acting make the film much better than your average summer blockbuster.