Russell Crowe Movie:

		List Price: $39.99		Label: Paramount Salesrank: 196 Released: September 1, 2009
		Our Price: $19.49
		Used Price: $24.99
		MPAA Rating: R (Restricted) Media: Blu-ray

Editorial Review:
Director Ridley Scott’s triumphant Gladiator is an unparalleled combination of vivid action and extraordinary storytelling that earned five Oscars® including Best Picture. The Blu-ray presentation will include both the original theatrical version of the film as well as the extended version in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, as well as English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Korean subtitles. The two-disc set also will feature over four hours of bonus material.

Description of Gladiator (Sapphire Series) [Blu-ray]:
A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's Gladiator 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, Titanic, 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--Saving Private Ryan, 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! --Mark Englehart

Gladiator (Sapphire Series) [Blu-ray] Reviews:
When in Rome.
2009-11-10 - Once upon a time, Hollywood made films like this on a regular basis. Russell Crowe sucessfully carries on the sword-and-sandal tradition with this star-making performance, bringing a newfound realism that past epics like 'Ben-Hur' and 'Ten Commandments' lacked. The excellent cast, especially Joaquin Phoenix as the amoral Commodus, help to personify the debauchery and arrogance of ancient Rome, while Crowe delivers both as a man's-man and also as a humbled slave, defeated in life by Rome's excesses but redeemed in death by his devotion to family and honor. A fine epic, well worthy of its many awards.

DON'T BELIEVE THESE BAD REVIEWS!!
2009-11-09 - THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS BLU RAY!! HOW CAN YOU SAY HOW BAD THE PICTURE IS 9 DAYS BEFORE IT CAME OUT!? YOU CAN'T BASE REVIEWS OFF OF SCREEN SHOTS!! One review creates a wave of 1 stars just; jump on the bandwagon and make stuff up. I have BraveHeart Sapphire Series and Gladiator has better picture than it! You people need to get your vision checked, or actually purchase and watch the movie before you post a review! THIS MOVIE LOOKS OUTSTANDING!!

Gladiator BD
2009-11-08 - Has anyone noticed the audio is only DTS
not DTS HD MA as one was led to believe.
This blu ray audio is worse than both the
original 5.1 and the subsequent 6.1 from the
later release.

Excellent movie
2009-11-07 - This was a great action packed movie.
Can there be a more versatile actor today than Russell Crowe, especially when he's directed by the great Ridley Scott.

What DNR and EE?
2009-11-01 - Purchased through a different retailer, this film was the first I watched on a new Blu-ray player and sound system. Perhaps I'm not the AV-snob others think we all ought to be, but watching this film was a revelation. I don't have a home theater space, rather just a simple 47" flat-screen and a room I can get pretty dark during the day. This film was beautiful to watch, and there were no playback issues (Panasonic DMP-BD60), picture quality was stunning (Phillips 47PFL7422D), and the sound quality was simply phenomenal (Onkyo HT-S6200). All in all, a fantastic film that is worth watching in Blu-ray format simply to see the splendor you missed the first time around.

To those who complained about DNR/EE, I'm assuming you have a much more sophisticated home theater set up than I do. For the regular Joe out there with a basic flat screen who thinks of HDMI as a jump, this disc is just fine.