One of the most anticipated titles for the holiday season, Gladiator debuts on a terrific two disc set from Dreamworks. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe, this epic tale of ancient Rome is inspiring, haunting, and thought provoking from start to finish. The outstanding cast includes Richard Harris, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, and in his last major film role Oliver Reed.

Crowe plays Maximus, a Roman general who for years has fought the barbarians of Germania in the North alongside the emperor Marcus Aurelius (Harris). Maximus is a hero to his troops and a bold fighter. The Emperor's son, Commodus learns from his dying father that he will not inherit the throne but the Empire will be turned over to Maximus to be turned into a republic once again. Commodus' is jealous and upon his father's death orders the execution of Maximus and his family. Maximus escapes but is sold into slavery where he becomes a fierce fighter in the arena. His fame grows and eventually brings him back to Rome, as a champion Gladiator, bent on revenge for the murder of his family. The acting is superb, as Crowe bring real depth to his character, showing the entire range of emotions. The same can be said of Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen, as the brother-sister royals who were entwined in the decadence of later Rome, with all its consequences. Oliver Reed, in his performance as a Moroccan slave trader and gladiator trainer, will be remembered for his wonderful work, as it is a fine example of his acting skill.

Picture- Scott used a number of different techniques during the filming, including muted, washed out colors in the opening battle scenes in Germania. The scene is dark and depressing and comes across perfectly, setting the mood for the scene of battle. Details of the battle, while horrible, are quickly panned by the cameras and the same techniques used in the "Private Ryan" battle scenes are employed by the photographers, using slow motion but also skipping frames to give a dream like quality to the scene. The transfer is excellent, with many details clearly seen in the highly researched and developed prop pieces and whole cities scenes built and used in the film. The fighting is realistic without zooming in on the gore, as the violence speaks for itself. The director correctly makes the scenes exciting without the need for a barf bucket. Much has been said about the Coliseum scenes, and how they missed the mark as far as their computer rendering realism. I'd have to disagree, as I found the scenes outstanding in special effects. We are seeing the Coliseum when it is a new(100 years old) and its grand structure, as it would have been in ancient Rome. Stunts are well coordinated and real tigers were used in a particular fight scene, grabbing out just inches from Crowe and his opponent. He earned his salary on those days of shooting. Sound-Utilizing DTS, the soundtrack with its haunting score by Hans Zimmer, is very memorable it its scope and theme. Zimmer manages to take a main character theme and vary it depending on the action, making it subtle and sweet at times, brooding and depressing at others. Throughout the film, the same musical elements are applied, bring unity and depth to the story. Besides DTS, Dolby 5.1 is also included on the same disc for those without DTS decoders. Separation through all channels is excellent. Discreet channels of sound come through in key scenes, while most of the information is clearly directed towards the front end.

The DVD includes an entire disc of extras, including 11 scenes that were cut and you can watch them with or without director commentary. Many Scott wanted to include but felt for one reason or another it made the film too long. A couple scenes he regrets cutting in his commentary. There is also director commentary throughout the film on a separate audio track, with Scott providing an in-depth look at the production and special effects of the film. Short films on the extra disc include a half hour "Making Of" featurette, a 20 minute short with composer Hans Zimmer, a one-hour film about the history of the gladiator games, a slide show of concept art and storyboard stills, a portrait and production gallery of still photographs from the set of Gladiator, original TV spots and theatrical trailers, production notes, a production diary from the film's young actor, Spencer Treat Clark on his experience making the movie, and cast and filmmaker bios. It is a phenomenal package and deserving of this truly outstanding film.

Buy it-buy it-buy it! A wonderful film with rich scope and depth, Gladiator is one you can't pass up. While it is bloody and tragic, the spectacle of Rome is fully created. It is more than an action flick and will be remembered long past its initial viewing.