Plot: What’s it about?
In the streets of the dangerous inner city, gang bangers run rampant and criminals seem to own the alleyways and such. The local high school kids have few options for money, so drug dealing or worse is usually the only choice they can make. But in this city, you can also make some money by stepping into the ring, inside an underground and illegal boxing federation. This league is run by Jimmy Horn (Brian Dennehy), who runs wagers on the fights and gives the winners a small piece of the pie. Of course, the more you win the more money you make, so the youngsters keeping returning and giving the fights their all. Horn has little care for them once their fighting days are over though, the injured ones usually end up dumped in front of hospitals. One fighter is Lincoln (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), a smart young man who tries to save his money, so he can leave the streets behind him forever. Lincoln soon befriends the newest member of the league, Tommy Riley (James Marshall) and the two start a strong bond of friendship and trust. But when Horn sees the chance to cash in on them, he decides to pit them against one another. With Lincoln’s future and Tommy’s father’s life on the line, will their friendship be able to survive this kind of confrontation?
This movie might not be the highest profile film to reach our beloved format, but I know my collection wouldn’t be complete without this disc. It has been a long wait and the disc doesn’t deliver on all fronts, but I am pleased just to have this movie on disc after all this time. The video & audio aspects of the disc are very good, but no supplements aside from some cast bios have been included. I know director Rowdy Herrington has done some commentary work before, so I am unsure why that option wasn’t explored. A trailer would have been nice too, but the movie is present and that’s the main thing to me. This is a cool movie that might not have the most famous actors or big budget production values, but it has the goods where it counts, entertainment value. With a terrific cast and some solid direction, Gladiator turns out to be much more than another boxing movie in the end. I love the in-ring sequences, which use basic, but powerful techniques to capture the feel of being that close to the fights. The fights are brutal and blood is shed often, so those sensitive to the red stuff should turn their heads. This movie is worth a look to anyone interested at all and despite the lack of extras, I think the disc is worth the money for a rental or purchase.
Rowdy Herrington directed this movie and though he might not be the most famous name in the business, he knows how to direct wild, rowdy pictures. This one is right up his alley to be sure and Herrington creates some terrific fight scenes, some of the better boxing sequences from this time in fact. I love the sheer impact quality of the fights, they really add a lot to the overall tone of this movie in the end. But the fight scenes aren’t the only reason to watch this flick, as the dialogue and storyline aren’t bad either. Some parts turn out better than others, but Herrington is able to fill in a lot when he needs to, which is always good. I hope he can see many more pictures from this man, and hopefully sooner than later. If you’d like to see more films by Herrington I suggest Striking Distance, A Murder Of Crows, Jack’s Back, and the immortal Road House. The main characters are played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jerry Maguire, Chill Factor) and James Marshall, both of whom handle their roles well. Marshall (Twins Peaks, A Few Good Men) is perfect for this part and really brings across the subtle aspects involved. The rest of the very impressive cast includes Tab Baker (Hoodlum), Cara Buono (Kicking And Screaming), Jon Seda (Carlito’s Way, Primal Fear), T.E. Russell (Swimming With Sharks), Ossie Davis (Grumpy Old Men, Malcolm X), Robert Loggia (Return To Me, Holy Man), and Brian Dennehy (Tommy Boy, Dish Dogs).
Video: How does it look?
Gladiator is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame version included on the disc’s flip side. This is a nice transfer and the best I’ve seen the film look on home video, but some slight flaws still appear. The main problem is grain, which is evident on many of the scenes in the film. This never becomes too dense or distracting, but you can notice it without even really looking much. So while it isn’t that big deal of a deal in the end, it is worth mentioning because it is obvious. Aside from that, this is a very good transfer and I found no compression errors, except for some minor moire patterns. The colors seem natural, but bright and flesh tones look normal and warm. No contrast issues either, shadow depth is perfect and no detail gets lost in the equation.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround is solid in all respects, with no problems I could find at all. The scope of the sound is more limited than a full 5.1 remix, but it holds it own and then some. The music is fitting and adds a nice edge to the film, and thankfully it sounds very good in this mix. Aside from the fight sequences, the music is the most active element and really makes good use of the speakers. The sound effects come through well, but the boxing scenes showcase the audio the best of course. The punches pack a strong, realistic thud than heightens the tension involved. The vocals also emerge in fine form, no volume hiccups or distortion problems are present. A Spanish track is also included, along with subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Thai, Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a selection of cast bios and some trailers, but the trailer for this film was not included.
