Herald rating: * * * *
Running time: 150 mins
Rental: Now
Review: Ewan McDonald
Rocky on downers, someone called this. A bloody good show, said someone else, which is apt for a Kiwi-born, Aussie-raised star's epic.
Russell Crowe plays Maximus, a general from Spain who begins his really big adventure as a favourite of the dying emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). But our hero is out-politicked by Marcus' son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).
He escapes to find his wife and son have been murdered and is sold as a slave to gladiator-promoter Proximo (Oliver Reed, who died during drinking ... er, filming).
Commodus, a spectacularly self-indulgent Caesar, has two aims in life: he wants to become the lover of his older sister Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), whose son he is bringing up as his heir, and he wants to be a dictator.
In this he is opposed by the senate, led by Gracchus (Derek Jacobi, who acted the toga off all the blokes here as a really loopy Roman emperor in I, Claudius).
When Commodus decides to sponsor the Super 12 of games Proximo arrives with his gladiators, starring ... yep, Maximus, who Commodus doesn't recognise.
And when Maximus wins his big fight, it's up to Commodus to decide if he will live or die.
Crowe makes a human hero; Phoenix is a tad uptight; old pros Harris, Jacobi and the digitally reincarnated Reed have a good time down at the forum.
Mostly though, Gladiator is the sort of slash'n'burn movie they don't make much anymore.
<i>Video:</i> Gladiator
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