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Gladiator

Play trailer 1:23 Poster for Gladiator R Released May 5, 2000 2h 34m History Drama Adventure Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
80% Tomatometer 261 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) takes power and strips rank from Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of the favored generals of his predecessor and father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the great stoical philosopher. Maximus is then relegated to fighting to the death in the gladiator arenas.
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Gladiator

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Critics Consensus

While not everyone will be entertained by Gladiator's glum revenge story, Russell Crowe thunderously wins the crowd with a star-making turn that provides Ridley Scott's opulent resurrection of Rome its bruised heart.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Nayman The Ringer The same sturdy conventionality that made Gladiator a hit means that it’s built to last without standing particularly tall. With apologies to Ridley Scott, it holds up fine without echoing into eternity. Nov 21, 2024 Full Review Stephen Hunter Washington Post It is an honorable movie, so are they all honorable movies. But that's not enough. It's not great. It's a disappointment. Caesar hates disappointment, so kill it swiftly and be done. Nov 2, 2022 Full Review Bill Muller Arizona Republic The new film has spectacular fight scenes in dazzling sets and a familiar story about honor and betrayal, courage and cowardice. It's the perfect vehicle for some old-fashioned sword-clanging fun. Rated: 3/5 Nov 2, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy One of the slighter films to ever win the Best Picture Oscar. Rated: 3/4 Mar 11, 2025 Full Review Greg MacArthur Screen Rant As iconic as Ridley Scott's Gladiator is, a better film would exist beneath its legendary dialogue and battle scenes in the form of a sharper script. Rated: 8/10 Nov 14, 2024 Full Review Casey Chong Casey's Movie Mania The enduring success of Gladiator lies in many factors, one of which is Scott’s modern sensibility in his direction that appeals even to contemporary audiences. Rated: 4/5 Nov 11, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member How can you not be entertained?! Ridley Scott’s sword-and-sandal epic is the catalyst that led to a majority of modern men’s obsession with the Roman Empire. The timeless, spectacular action combined with a simple yet poignant story makes this one of the prime examples of a blockbuster film at its best. Russell Crowe delivers a peak performance as the honorable hero, Maximus. Joaquin Phoenix matches Crowe’s excellence, playing the villainous foil, Commodus, a role that would launch him into stardom as well. While the gladiator combat is a major draw of the film, it’s the film’s exploration of societal power and the resilience of the human spirit that sets “Gladiator” apart from its many imitations. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/03/25 Full Review Chris H A brilliant film - breathtaking in its scope but also intimate in the portrayal of its characters. Every scene is a joy and Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix are magnificent. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/30/25 Full Review Audience Member Absolute masterpiece, best movie in the world Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/29/25 Full Review Nenad V One of my top 3 favorite movies ever. The best history movie ever made. I watched this in theaters back in 2000,had the time of my life,and in the blink of an eye, 25 years have passed. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/26/25 Full Review Garrett B Filled with epic spectacle, choreographed fight scenes, and great performances, Gladiator is one of the best films of all time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/20/25 Full Review Bing B Top 5 movies of all time Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/20/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Gladiator

Gladiator: Official Clip - Maximus' Dying Wish Gladiator: Official Clip - Maximus' Dying Wish 2:51 Gladiator: Official Clip - Busy Little Bee Gladiator: Official Clip - Busy Little Bee 1:55 Gladiator: Official Clip - The Battle of Carthage Gladiator: Official Clip - The Battle of Carthage 2:59 Gladiator: Official Clip - Maximus vs. Tigris of Gaul Gladiator: Official Clip - Maximus vs. Tigris of Gaul 2:59 Gladiator: Official Clip - Commodus Murders His Father Gladiator: Official Clip - Commodus Murders His Father 2:49 Gladiator: Official Clip - The Battle Against Germania Gladiator: Official Clip - The Battle Against Germania 3:00 Gladiator: Official Clip - Are You Not Entertained? Gladiator: Official Clip - Are You Not Entertained? 2:05 Gladiator: Official Clip - My Name is Maximus Gladiator: Official Clip - My Name is Maximus 2:42 Gladiator: Official Clip - Maximus Kills Commodus Gladiator: Official Clip - Maximus Kills Commodus 2:50 Gladiator: Official Clip - Maximus Kisses Lucilla Gladiator: Official Clip - Maximus Kisses Lucilla 2:27 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) takes power and strips rank from Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of the favored generals of his predecessor and father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the great stoical philosopher. Maximus is then relegated to fighting to the death in the gladiator arenas.
Director
Ridley Scott
Producer
David Franzoni, Branko Lustig, Douglas Wick
Screenwriter
David Franzoni, John Logan, William Nicholson, David Franzoni
Distributor
Universal Pictures, DreamWorks SKG
Production Co
Scott Free Productions, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Universal Pictures
Rating
R (Intense Graphic Combat)
Genre
History, Drama, Adventure, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 5, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 15, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$187.7M
Runtime
2h 34m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Dolby EX, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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