Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Janet Maslin, New York Times: The mixture may be slightly unexpected, but it still manages to be predictable all the way. Read more
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The idea of the Dennehy's illegal boxing arena is a storytelling masterstroke; it explains the small crowds at the same time it permits the boxers to fight dirty. Read more
Time Out: Marshall makes a promising feature debut; and Herrington, pushing beyond the expected triumph-of-the-underdog cliches, underpins the crowd-pleasing Rocky-style fight action with some unobtrusive social comment and confident visual storytelling. Read more
Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Let's make things perfectly clear. Gladiator is utter trash masquerading as an action picture with a message. Read more
Rita Kempley, Washington Post: The screenplay, contrived to suit the genre, is likewise replete with stock characters. Read more