Rome's finest General in falling out with upstart son of Emperor. Son becomes Emperor after killing his father, after father said Gladiator, Maximus, should inherit his throne. Revenge ping pong between these two proponents for rest of movie.

"The film started and I thought OhMyGod! Crowe talks as quietly as Eastwood, and is as tall as Cruise. How is this going to work, a whispering shorty commanding the Roman army? But thanks to good camerawork it sort of works. It's a blisteringly OK movie."

"This is the sort of film I thought they weren't doing anymore. Thanks to CGI, a grand world can now be created in which ordinary actors can ply their macho trade without any of the effort of doing it for real."

"A good old fashioned romp in Gladiatorial Rome, except the star dies at the end. Hopefully this is the last new-man Roman epic - I want a star of a movie who does not die - I want someone bigger than life to hold my dreams like star dust in his hands. Don't those modern day film making children know anything? I want my money back and want it now."

"Crowe is a complete imbecile, he holds a sword like a girl." France Today.

"Crowe exhibits a veritable smorgasbord of rough edges and has muscled himself up to give a nicely defined performance."

"I do hope some of those head exploding scenes were computer graphics effects, otherwise I have just seen my first main stream snuff movie and that's no good at all."

Maximus, now a famous general, on his way home to son and wife after winning the war for the old Emperor finds them dead and is arrested by Roman authorities.

He becomes a slave, gets bought by a Gladiator dealer. Fights a couple of fights in the coliseum.

Realizes that being a good Gladiator could get him face to face with the new Emperor who he knows killed his son and wife.

Gets his chance at revenge, after it is discovered that the son of the Emperor's sister had Maximus's son. They have a sword fight in the coliseum and Gladiator loses.

"What we do in life echoes throughout eternity."

Just when we thought this sort of thing was too expensive to make anymore, computer graphics come along and make it possible.

Recently (2002) voted number 8 best movie of all time in tv viewers poll - it won't be there in thirty years...