Gladiator-Russell Crowe shines!

So yesterday, I finally watched Gladiator the movie, though it was released in 2000. 6 years later, a bored Ian watched Russell Crowe's first major film, and i must say, i can see why it propelled his career to the heights that he is at now.
Yes Jeremy (Tee), you were right, it's an awesome film which i have no doubt i could watch a second time. The fight scenes were good, and memorable, with Crowe's character, General Maximus, being the dominant gladiator, but not overly so. We see him struggle to defeat some opponents, we see the odds stacked against him, but in the end, though he wins, those wins are more believable than other, more manufactured movies.
Crowe plays Maximus superbly, with his charisma and presence on the screen. It's really not hard to believe that men would follow someone like that-to the death. "Strength and Honor" he says to his men before battles, and he embodies these qualities throughout the film, once again, full credit to Crowe's acting.
Also, i really liked the soundtrack on the film, with the sopranos here and there, and the kind of spiritual yet eerie music a la Enya's songs for LOTR really fits the moods and kinda even makes ur hair stand on end. I've also watched the HBO series ROME, but honestly, it doesnt really match up to Gladiator in terms of sheer cinematography as well as plot.
So if you're like me and you havent seen it, it's definitely worth a watch.
My final verdict: 4.5 stars