FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Gladiator (3 Disc Extended Special Edition) [DVD] [2000]

Gladiator (3 Disc Extended Special Edition) [DVD] [2000]
enlarge	Director: Ridley Scott Actors: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi Studio: Universal Pictures UK Category: DVD List Price: ~~£19.99~~ Buy Used: £3.45 as of 23/11/2009 08:35 GMT details You Save: £16.54 (83%) New (21) Used (17) Collectible (1) from £3.45 Seller: jng4eva09 Rating: 40 reviews Sales Rank: 4614 Format: Anamorphic, Box set, PAL, Special Edition, Widescreen Languages: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Number Of Discs: 3 Running Time: 164 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6 Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 EAN: 5050582349955 ASIN: B000A5RLHK Theatrical Release Date: 2000 Release Date: September 12, 2005 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's iGladiator/i is a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes moviemaking back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, iTitanic,/i it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marveling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marveling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly cements his star status both in terms of screen presence and acting chops, carrying the film on his decidedly non-computer-generated shoulders as he goes from brave general to wounded fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. Gladiator's plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, are shot with a veracity that brings to mind--believe it or not--iSaving Private Ryan/i, even if everyone is wearing a toga. As Crowe's nemesis, the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix chews scenery with authority, whether he's damning Maximus's popularity with the Roman mobs or lusting after his sister Lucilla (beautiful but distant Connie Nielsen); Oliver Reed, in his last role, hits the perfect notes of camp and gravitas as the slave owner who rescues Maximus from death and turns him into a coliseum star. Director Scott's visual flair is abundantly in evidence, with breathtaking shots and beautiful (albeit digital) landscapes, but it's Crowe's star power that will keep you in thrall--he's a true gladiator, worthy of his legendary status. Hail the conquering hero! --iMark Englehart/i

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 40 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...8 Next » Powerful and emotional epic at its best. May 16, 2007 Mr. Andrew Moore (Worcestershire) 42 out of 47 found this review helpful Okay. so you have probably already seen Gladiator either at the cinema or on DVD. So whats special about this version and why should you but it? Thats the question I asked myself. Well, I already have the original version and so has to think about getting this one, but I am glad I did. I read other reviews saying not much was in this that isn't in the original, but I say they are wrong. br / br /Okay, so theres nothing really new here, everything is the same right through to when Maximus (Crowe) gets to Rome. After this, there is nothing brethtakingly new, no new battle scenes, no amazing effects... but there is depth. The additional scenes add to the intigue, build the characters even further and adds a more understanding to the minds of the main characters. We have more behind the scenes plotting to bring about the downfall of the insane Commodu (Phoenix) including one scene where he stands in front of the fireing squad while two Soldiers are executed (if thats not mad I don't know what is!). br /So, is it worth getting if you already have a copy of the original? In my view, yes it is because the understanding is heightened far beyond what we had before. If all you want is more battles and gore... don't bother. I will watch this version over and over, the original will stay in my collection bit this is the version for me. Go ahead and buy it NOW! October 22, 2005 M. Torske (Norway) 25 out of 29 found this review helpful I knew there was a reason why I never got around to buying the two disc edition, and now I know: I was waiting for this three-disc edition. I just didn't know what I was waiting for. pIt was really interesting to see the new scenes, even though I understand why Ridley Scott cut them out of the big screen version. The film works very well without them - obviously, who didn't love it when they saw it on the big screen? - but if you're a Gladiator fan, you want to see it all. Love the Ridley/Crowe commentary as well.pOh, just go ahead, you won't regret buying this DVD. I promise. A vast improvement, but it's still no Fall of the Roman Empire September 9, 2006 Trevor Willsmer (London, England) 21 out of 28 found this review helpful The extended cut of Gladiator still has many of the problems of the original but doesn't feel as disjointed or quite so disappointing. It's not just that it has more room to breathe, more that the additional footage, particularly the scenes away from Maximus where the future of Rome takes center-stage, raise the stakes beyond the simplistic revenge tale the theatrical version all too often settled for. The climactic fight with Commodus is still a major disappointment not just because it's so underwhelmingly staged but because, unlike The Fall of the Roman Empire, the film it relentlessly plagiarises, Commodus is never a credible threat: where Mann gave him foolhardy courage, Scott has implied he's a coward throughout until even a wounded hero can't even the odds. It's still no Fall, but it is a more satisfying film than the one released in cinemas. Very impressive extra features too. Semper Fi in antiquity December 29, 2005 Kurt Messick (London, SW1) 14 out of 19 found this review helpful Having been brought up in the classics, naturally anything that has to do with ancient Greece or Rome will catch my attention. Whether it holds it for very long or not is another matter; fortunately, Gladiator, for all of its shortcomings, did.pThis is a work of fiction, and must be approached as such. I have seen numerous reviews that criticise the film for its lack of authenticity and historicity -- this is perhaps an unfair criticism. It is as unfair as if to say Star Wars is unhistorical, or the events portrayed on Spin City didn#x27;t really happen historically -- of course they didn#x27;t. This is what fiction is all about. Of course, there will be some grounding in reality (do we really want to divorce fiction completely from reality so that every city becomes Metropolis and every proper name must be changed?). Once I realised that this movie was intended to be a work of fiction, and not a dramatically-charged documentary, I relaxed and had an enjoyable time.pThere was an emperor Marcus Aurelius, who was rather effective in a Machiavellian way early in his reign, and later turned to a more philosophical bent; his collected thoughts have been published in many forms, including as part of the great Harvard set of great thinkers. His son Commodus did in fact succeed him, though not after suffocating him on the German frontier, and was an emperor of a fair inferior stamp; he played to the mob, not necessarily more than previous emperors had (and, in fact, Marcus Aurelius had not suspended the games in Rome--no wise ruler would risk such a thing), but rather more than the elite classes of Rome would prefer. pCommodus in fact had (as did many emperors before and after) love affairs with relatives, friends, and strangers. He was ruthless (this much the movie kept true), but not quite as clever at intrigue as even the movie (in which he finally gets his come-uppance) suggests.pThe character of Maximus is a complete fiction. An honourable man for whom Semper Fi would be the appropriate appellation; he is charged by his beloved emperor Marcus Aurelius essentially to save the empire and restore the Republic (how odd that he receives assistance from a character played by Derek Jacobi, who played the Republican-minded Claudius in I, Claudius); alas, the end of the film leads one to believe that with the death of Commodus, the Republic will be restored.pThe Republic was never restored. The Empire fell, and anarchy took its place. The Dark Ages in the West ensued, and the Eastern Empire became the Byzantine Empire, leading a decadent and slowly-crumbling existence for another thousand years.pBut, heroic tales owe nothing to political realities (as most who discern the truth behind modern political campaigning will inform you!) -- this is a tale of honour and the triumph against great odds of virtue.pRussell Crowe does an admirable job as Maximus, the Spaniard general turned slave by betrayal, who finally wins his dignity back in the arena in Rome. Joaquin Phoenix does an interesting job as Commodus, both weak and manipulative while being determined and ruthless. Derek Jacobi turns in his usual good acting job, though perhaps he is the wasted element in this film.pThe cinematography is choppy, particularly in the battle sequences; this is, I am sure, meant to convey the disarray and distraction of battle. I am not sure it succeeds. The dream sequences and #x27;floating#x27; periods are rather strange, with camera trickery more akin to a music video than an epic film. There are some very well done pieces, though, including the use of colouration to show vibrancy or gloom on the well-done modeling of Rome and the Colloseum.pThe battle sequences that open the film are well done and realistic with regard to tactics and conditions of the Roman fight against the Germanic tribes. Unlike movies like Spartacus, which highlight some of the marching tactics, or Cleopatra, which shows use of the turtle formation, but do so in relative isolation from surrounding conditions, in Gladiator we get both a sense of the discipline and tactics of the Roman army as well as the difficult conditions under which they were fighting. As one Marine commentator told me, the Romans were often outnumbered by the ferocious Germans, but the discipline and battle tactics of the Romans usually won out because there was unit cohesion and command structure that looked at the larger battle as a whole; whereas the Germans at this period were independent, individual warriors who each, while brave and fierce, saw himself as a leader, and thus did not work together. The Celts often had the same problem.pOf course, on the other hand, there were bits of reality that were omitted from the film -- gladiators did indeed become superstars in Rome, more popular than the rulers (of course, that situation happens in modern times, too, where athletes and film stars are often far more popular than political leaders). Gladiators went so far as to endorse products and do much that modern celebrities do, but this was considered #x27;over the top#x27;, and left out of the screenplay.pSome judicious editing might make this a great film; as it is, it is a very good film, one that sets a new standard in what was considered a dead (or at least comatose) film genre. We, who are about to die, salute you. September 17, 2005 Mr. Jonathan C. Giles (West Midlands, UK) 6 out of 8 found this review helpful Although this is probably the definitive version of Gladiator in terms of extras, those who have home cinema systems may well want to stick with the original (and still very good) 2 disc edition since that version has a DTS soundtrack and even though it might not have tonnes of extras like this one it is still packed with good bonus features. The picture quality according to IGN.com is pretty much the same as the original (although they were reviewing a region 1 version of the extended edition). However for those who want to know pretty much everything there is to know about how the film was made get this one. Showing reviews 1-5 of 40 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...8 Next »

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