"I am Gladiator... hear me roar."

Shawn

I never really thought this movie was Oscar-worthy. It probably got the Academy Award for Best Picture just because it's an epic. Lavish settings, dramatic events, and great acting do make this an above average film, but the emotional content seems lacking. I didn't really like this movie the first time I saw it, I thought it was kind of boring. The fact that I saw the movie at 10:30 at night after a long day and it's around a 2 and a half hour long movie might account for this. But after seeing this movie (fully awake) I felt like I was watching a completely different movie. O.k. Plot, for those of you who haven't seen it. Russell Crowe is Maximus, a lead commander in the Roman Empire. At least he is for a while, until he refuses to pledge loyalty to the Empire and is ordered to be put to death. He escapes of course, is turned into a slave (and gladiator) and dramatic scenes, dialogue, and action follow. The movie has some of the most incredible action sequences, and with the subject matter being the Roman Empire, it's just such a cool movie. Keep your ears at attention too, because the soundtrack is beautiful.

Related Link: Check out the DVD Review.

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