UPDATE!!! ROBOGEEK here again, with that "beefier" expanded review from Critical Mass which was promised yesterday. Please note that it has _limited_ spoilers, but includes no big surprises -- and nothing about the third act. The opening sequence is described in detail, but the major plot points and most important scenes from the rest of the film are preserved from being spoiled. So, with that, here's Critical Mass with his new and improved review! (The original two reviews posted yesterday follow.)
CRITICAL MASS is here, and MASS is now in session. I am the MINISTER, CINEMA is my religion, and the MOVIE THEATER is my temple. So, let us all now rejoice at the power and the glory that is GLADIATOR.
As one of the many "nameless/faceless" moviegoers, I attended a recent test screening of Ridley Scott's new summer blockbuster epic, "GLADIATOR," and I must say it positively KICKS ASS! Let me tell you something: All I have to do to get your mouths salivating about "GLADIATOR" is to utter the following words: SWORDS, BLOOD, CHARIOTS, TIGERS, WILD CROWDS, BRUTAL COMBAT, THE MASSIVE ROMAN COLISSEUM, and finally, RUSSELL CROWE. This is the movie Russell Crowe fans have been dying for, and he finally has the movie that will make him a serious box office draw.
The film begins in ancient Germania as the Roman Army is poised to battle Germanic barbarians in a large forest clearing. We see a Roman General walking amongst his troops, inspecting them, admiring them. It is Maximus (Russell Crowe), the respected leader of the Roman Army in Germania. The soldiers stand stoic before Maximus as he passes them, and the respect he receives from them is powerful. Electric. It's just the kind of loyalty Maximus needs from his men prior to battle. Without it, the battle would not continue. Without it, the battle would be lost. Maximus mounts a white steed and heads off after telling an aid to wait for his signal.
The signal comes in the form of a lone, flaming arrow shot high into the air. Suddenly, the Romans attack with steely precision while the barbarians scream in a disorganized attempt to frighten the Roman soldiers. It does not work. As Roman troops advance, catapults launch their fiery ammunition toward the Germanic horde. The projectiles explode against the trees and rain their flaming fuel, like a primitive form of napalm, onto the horde. The barbarians attack, but Maximus outflanks them from behind and quickly has the horde surrounded. The Romans cut their Germanic enemies down like they have with so many others. Swords clank and thrust, arms are hacked off, lives are ended, and at the battle's conclusion, only the Roman Army stands in victory with Maximus leading the chorus of Roman cheers.
This opening scene is reminiscent of the Omaha Beach scenes in "SAVING PRIVATE RYAN." There is a left-to-right panning shot of the Romans hurling a hailstorm of flaming arrows at the barbarians that gave me an immediate "Ryan" feeling. The scene is so chaotic, it made the hair on my neck stand up! The fighting is brutal, but the scenes are not quite as shocking as the beach scenes in "Ryan." These scenes are more surreal than shocking. At times, the film goes into slow-motion-mode to show Maximus hacking at a barbarian, and then we are jarred back into "real time" the next moment. This back and forth play on film speeds shows the more unsettling aspects of hand-to-hand combat during the Roman Empire, and it is equally thrilling and intense.
This victory is meant to show Maximus at his battle-ready best, ferociously hacking and slashing his enemies with the precision of a battle-hardened war veteran. This is important because Maximus will soon be betrayed by someone close to him, and he will need every ounce of his experience to survive what is about to occur.
Maximus is unfairly arrested for treason by Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the newly crowned Emperor of Rome. Maximus is disgraced by Commodus, stripped of his freedom, and everything he owns or loves is taken away from him. In a desperate move, Maximus escapes into the forest. He is later found unconscious by a wandering tribe and is captured as a slave. Riding in a caravan towards a small desert town, a bitter Maximus awakens and soon realizes his fate: He must prove himself in gladiator games, or die. Not a very fitting end for a decorated Roman General, to be sure.
We are introduced to Proximo (Oliver Reed), Maximus' new slave owner. Proximo expects that many of his new slaves will die swift deaths, but he is quickly impressed with Maximus' talents. In the small desert arena, Maximus uses his battle experience and military skills to keep himself alive. After establishing his reputation as a winner in several battles, Maximus gains the respect and admiration of the other gladiators as well as from the crowds that gather to watch. Proximo is so pleased with the progress of his best gladiators, that he announces his plan to have Maximus and his fellow fighters battle in the preeminent arena of bloodsport, the Roman Colisseum.
Once in Rome, we see the Colisseum, a structure so huge, we feel dwarfed in our seats by its immense size. If Maximus' talents weren't adequately tested in the desert arena, they will definitely be tested here. Only the cream of the gladiator crop are allowed to fight here. But Maximus and the other gladiators have their work cut out for them. The crowd expects the slaves to die. The odds are against Maximus, and his first goal is to survive with the others. His second goal, however, is to exact a warrior's revenge upon the man who betrayed him, the cowardly Emperor Commodus. That is, if he survives the games. Maximus' abilities will be stretched to the limits in the Colisseum, and his chances of achieving either goal are nearly impossible.
I will leave the rest of it to your imagination for now, but suffice it to say, there is much to love about this film. The action is intense and non-stop. As I said in my previous review, you will feel like you are in every battle. You will feel like you need to dodge the sword thrusts, duck an oncoming spear, or you may fall victim to the battles yourself. This feels very interactive, and Ridley Scott pulls out all the visual stops to bring you a captivating mixture of "SPARTACUS," "BRAVEHEART," and the chariot scene in "BEN-HUR." The digital renderings of the Roman Colisseum and Rome's cityscape are breathtaking to watch. Also, despite a current running time of just over 2 1/2 hours, the action and the dialogue is still interspersed well enough that I was never bored. I would expect some cutting, but not too much.
Russell Crowe is phenomenal as Maximus, and I guarantee you that GLADIATOR will place Crowe on a superstar status he has not yet experienced. He proves that he can dominate the screen with his presence like the best actors in the business. He also shares the screen with some incredible talent, including Joaquin Phoenix, who is great as the weak, but menacing Commodus. Richard Harris and the late (and great) Oliver Reed both lend an "old school" flair to the massive production as Marcus Antonius and Proximo, respectively. Djimon Hounsou (AMISTAD) has a short role as Maximus' gladiator friend, Juba. And Connie Neilsen (RUSHMORE) is quite elegant as Commodus' sister, Lucilla. She is torn between Maximus, her former lover, and the loyalty she has for her brother, the ruler.
GLADIATOR will thrill you, make you cringe, you will cheer, your heart will sink and then soar, and you may even cry. Yes, the sounds of sniffling were heard throughout the theater at one point, and I venture to guess that the tears weren't coming from the various industry reps sitting in the back seats, which included Ridley Scott himself. I thought I could hear the sounds of cash registers opening and bags of money rolling in, but that may've been my imagination.
Most of all, I think AICN fans will love this film. It is not flawless yet, since it was a test print, but it doesn't look to me like there was much more than minor tinkering left to be done in the edit room. This movie WILL NOT disappoint action fans, summer blockbuster nuts, or even female AICNers. Let's face it: Russell Crowe looks quite handsome, and the ladies will be on this movie like fan boys to hot-buttered popcorn once they see the commercials.
GLADIATOR may not beat "MI2" in the B.O. this summer, but it definitely deserves a place among the top grossers. I cannot wait for the release print.
For now, this is CRITICAL MASS ending services until next time.
Thanks, C.M.! Now, for those of you who missed the reviews we first posted yesterday, here they are, preserved for posterity (along with my original intro)...
Friends, Romans, Geeks... I, ROBOGEEK, am pleased as punch to bring you the following funky-fresh test screening reviews of GLADIATOR, hot off the presses! Words cannot describe how badly I want to see this film. In fact, I'm sure that if any of my friends were given the chance to see it as early as, say, this month, they would make every effort to bring me along for the experience, rather than incurring my smoldering Robo-resentment. But I digress... ;-)
First off, we have a review from Critical Mass, a spy who has been good enough to promise us a longer, more detailed review soon, sparing us any major spoilers. In the meantime, he has granted us this fleeting vision of Ridley Scott's new film...
Hello, Harry. I just saw a test screening for "Gladiator" and it KICKS MAJOR ASS! This is a near finished print that still needs tweaking, but the version I saw was VERY entertaining.
When the film begins, there is a simple graphic used as the title. I imagine that a more elaborate (and more expensive) title sequence is being finished as we speak. The movie opens in Germania, where Roman General Maximus (Russell Crowe) is leading his Roman army in battle against Germanic barbarians. The battle is about as close to "Saving Private Ryan"'s opening scenes as there have ever been attempted depicting Roman combat. It is quite violent, and the action is furiously paced. It left my adrenaline surging as if I was battling side by side with the soldiers.
Without getting too much more into plot, Maximus is betrayed for treason and eventually winds up as a talented slave gladiator in the Roman Colisseum. Once there, Maximus must battle for his life, win over the Roman crowds, and find a way to exact revenge on the one person who betrayed him.
The computer effects depicting Rome are breathtaking and flawless. You will believe that you are actually viewing ancient Roman landscapes, buildings, and teeming crowds in the Coliseum. If George Lucas can imagine Naboo out of pixels, then Rome is no different. You will be dazzled at the sight of the Coliseum, which, on the big screen, really makes you feel like you are at the center of the most imposing structure ever built.
Russell Crowe is very charismatic as Maximus, and he is very adept at swordplay. The combat scenes are shot from many different angles to give us a sense of all-around majesty to the battleground, and the fight-choreography is quite elaborate. These fights do not look fake. Crowe really seems to be a talented swordsman, and the quick, rapid-fire edits in the combat scenes add to a tension that cranks up the action quotient. You will also hear the roar of the crowds as if they are directed right at you. There are elements of surrealism and symbolism, which are similar to certain scenes in Ridley Scott's "Legend."
Starring opposite Russell Crowe is Joaquin Phoenix (Clay Pigeons) as Commodus, a weak, but powerful Roman Emperor who is consistently shown up by the impudent Maximus. Commodus is a coward with power, and some of his scenes show a positively evil side. Others in the cast include Djimon Hounsou (Amistad) an African-born gladiator named Juba, who becomes Maximus' friend; The late Oliver Reed as Proximo, Maximus' slave owner; and Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius, Commodus' father.
Imagine the chariot-race scene in "Ben-Hur," the gladiator fights in "Spartacus," and the epic scale of "Braveheart," and you have a taste of what "Gladiator" will offer audiences this summer. This is a film that will thrill you, move you, and ultimately leave you feeling entertained.
I will be lining up this May with much anticipation when "Gladiator" is released. This movie will bring out the inner-soldier in all of us.
Regards,
CRITICAL MASS
Sounds "killer," as Robert Rodriguez would say, huh? Well, let's get another perspective, just to be on the safe side. I mean, it is metaphysically possible for a film to rock this hard? I sure hope so. Here's another review from that same test screening, from our spy Julius Caesar...
Harry,
I had the pleasure last night of attending a screening in (DELETED) of Ridley Scott's new movie Gladiator.
All I can say is: WOW!
I think the golden age of moviemaking is coming back. This film takes elements of 50s classics like Ben-Hur and The Robe and puts them back on screen without the cheesy blue screens sequences and mixes in a little Braveheart for good measure.
Ridley Scott has an absolute masterpiece here.
The opening battle scene was shot superbly. Scott uses two techniques here that really add to the quality of the scene.
On one hand, he uses a lot of quick, blurry shots to show the confusion of the battle. Then, later, he uses a slow motion sequence to display the weariness of the soldiers, in general, and Maximus, in particular.
Absolutely brilliant!
He uses similar camera work during the gladiator sequences. Absolutely fabulous!
As for the acting, Russell Crowe is about to become a household name. He delivers a hell of a performance as Maximus, the greatest general in all of Rome.
Joaquin Phoenix brilliantly portrays Commodus, the new Emperor of Rome. His facial features look how a Roman Emperor is supposed to look. His actions are typical of stuff you've read about in Greek and Roman mythology. Phoenix's character is the guy you love to hate.
Connie Neilsen plays Commodus' sister, a woman who's torn between her sisterly love of her brother, her daughterly love of her father, her motherly love of her son and her past love of Maximus.
Without giving away any of the plot, the only way to is describe this film is: WOW!
Two swords up!
