Gladiator

What he has here is a story that probably cannot be believed in any conceivable level, and yet, to give him his due, he tells it with such conviction that it works anyway. Read full review

GLADIATOR breaks no new ground, but it pays off scrupulously, fulfilling--in fact, catering to--audience expectations at every turn. This may not sound like much of an achievement, but when theaters are full of movies that don't deliver on their implicit promises, it's nice to see a movie that gives audiences exactly what they've paid for. Read full review

Here's a small, well-crafted screen tale, offered with little fanfare. It has a classic B-movie appeal. Nothing flashy - but what's there is gripping and solid. [6 March 1992, p.19]

The Gladiator script by Lyle Kessler and Robert Mark Kamen has been thought out carefully, and only during the climactic fight does it seem contrived when it becomes a parable about corruption. Ultimately, the film was designed to stir up our juices, and it succeeds. [6 March 1992, p.D1]

A slick action drama that rehashes most of the cliches of the boxing picture tradition. However, it does so with enough energy and -- particularly when it comes to Tak Fujimoto's cinematography -- style, that the hard-hitting feature should get some profitable rounds in at the boxoffice; no knockouts predicted, however. [2 March 1992]

The fight scenes are vicious, demagogic, and thoroughly exciting. Read full review

When the action shifts inside the ropes, which happens often, "Gladiator" pulses with energy, and Marshall shines. Boxing purists may wince at the freewheeling fisticuffs - there is enough kicking, eye-gouging and head-butting going on to make viewers wonder why anyone bothered with a referee - but the electricity in these scenes is undeniable. [6 March 1992, p.31]