The Dirt, 2019

The Dirt is a 2019 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Jeff Tremaine from a screenplay by Rich Wilkes and Amanda Adelson, about heavy metal/glam metal band Mötley Crüe. The film stars Douglas Booth, Colson Baker, Daniel Webber and Iwan Rheon.

TRAILER

PLOT

In 1973, Frank Carlton Feranna Jr. walks away from his mother Deana after years of abuse and moves from Seattle to Los Angeles in 1978. After a failed attempt to connect with his biological father who abandoned the family at birth, Frank legally changes his name to "Nikki Sixx" in 1980. A year later, after a falling out with members of London at the Whisky a Go Go, Nikki befriends drummer Tommy Lee and reveals to him that he is forming a new band. Joining the band is guitarist Mick Mars, who suffers from ankylosing spondylitis. The trio then recruit Tommy's high school friend Vince Neil from the cover band Rockandi as lead vocalist, and after some brainstorming, the quartet name themselves Mötley Crüe.

Despite a brawl with some crowd members, Mötley Crüe's first gig at the Starwood is well-received. They progressively sell out night clubs all over Los Angeles and rookie producer Tom Zutaut of Elektra Records approaches them with a five-album deal. They sign Doc McGhee as their manager. During their first national tour, the band is given advice by Ozzy Osbourne to know the limits of their partying before he snorts some ants and licks his and Nikki's urine on the pool floor. Before long, the band's albums go platinum and they each spend millions of dollars as fast as they earn them. Vince marries mud wrestler Sharise Ruddell, while Tommy announces his engagement to a woman named Roxie, but after his mother calls her a groupie, they get into a heated argument and Tommy punches Roxie in the face.

On December 8, 1984, during a party at Vince's home in Redondo Beach, California Tommy meets Heather Locklear, while Vince and Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle drive out to buy more drinks. They get into a car accident that kills Razzle, and has Vince sentenced to 30 days in jail for vehicular manslaughter, which is subsequently reduced to 19 days. Nikki becomes addicted to heroin and starts to display destructive behavior towards his bandmates. He fires McGhee for bringing Deana to visit him. On December 23, 1987, shortly after Tommy and Heather's wedding, Nikki overdoses on heroin and is initially declared dead, but a paramedic who is a fan of the band brings him back to life with two shots of adrenaline. Following this, Nikki has the band go to rehab. A sober Mötley Crüe rebounds in 1989 with Dr. Feelgood, which becomes their first number one album on the Billboard 200, followed by a lengthy world tour. The months of touring and staying sober take their toll on Vince and Tommy, who resort to drinking again after being away from their families for too long.

Following the tour, Vince discovers that Sharise and their daughter Skylar have left him, causing him to miss several rehearsals and eventually part ways with the band in 1992. The band then hires John Corabi as his replacement. In 1995, Skylar dies of stomach cancer at the age of four, while Heather divorces Tommy after he is caught having an affair with a porn star two years earlier. Mick starts to abuse painkillers as the disease is starting to overwhelm his body and movement. Seeing the backlash by fans over Vince's departure from the band, Nikki negotiates with Zutaut to give them back the rights to their songs in exchange for their release from Elektra Records. After visiting his father's grave, Nikki regroups with Tommy and Mick, who has had hip surgery, before they reconcile with Vince. Mötley Crüe would perform together for another 20 years, playing their final show on New Year's Eve 2015.

CAST

Douglas Booth as Nikki Sixx, Mötley Crüe's bassist

Trace Masters and Vince Robert Mattis play eight-year-old and 14-year-old Sixx (then known by his birth name of Frank Feranna Jr.), respectively

Iwan Rheon as Mick Mars, Mötley Crüe's guitarist who suffers from Ankylosing spondylitis

Colson Baker as Tommy Lee, Mötley Crüe's drummer

Daniel Webber as Vince Neil, Mötley Crüe's lead vocalist

Pete Davidson as Tom Zutaut, an Elektra Records executive

David Costabile as Doc McGhee, Mötley Crüe’s longtime manager

Leven Rambin as Sharise Ruddell-Neil, Vince’s wife who is a mud wrestler and a model

Kathryn Morris as Deana Richards, Nikki's mother

Rebekah Graf as Heather Locklear, Tommy's second wife

Tony Cavalero as Ozzy Osbourne, former lead vocalist of Black Sabbath struggling with drug addiction who headlined one of Mötley Crüe's earlier tours

Max Milner as Razzle, drummer of Hanoi Rocks

Katherine Neff as Lovey, Vince's first girlfriend

Jordan Lane Price as Roxie, Tommy's first fiancée, who prior to their breakup was having an affair with Nikki

Christian Gehring as David Lee Roth, lead vocalist of Van Halen

Anthony Vincent Valbiro as John Corabi, Mötley Crüe's second lead vocalist (1992–95) after Vince's departure from the band

Kamryn Ragsdale as Skylar Neil, Vince's daughter who died of cancer

Iris D'Aquin and Lyra D'Aquin play two-year-old Skylar

Melanie Hebert as an MTV VJ

Courtney Dietz as Athena Lee, a musician and Tommy’s younger sister

Joe Chrest as David Lee, Tommy’s father

Elena Evangelo as Voula Lee, Tommy’s mother

Michael Hodson as Rodney Feranna, Nikki's half-brother

Alyssa Marie Stilwell as Kayla

Rating: 8 Stars

We are your friends, 2015

We Are Your Friends is a 2015 drama film directed by Max Joseph (in his feature directorial debut) and with a screenplay by Joseph and Meaghan Oppenheimer, from a story by Richard Silverman. The film stars Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski and Wes Bentley, and follows a young Los Angeles DJ trying to make it in the music industry and figure out life with his friends.

TRAILER

PLOT

Cole Carter, a San Fernando Valley native, former track star, college dropout, and struggling 23-year-old DJ in the electronic dance music (EDM) scene, dreams of becoming a major record producer. Cole's friends Mason - an aspiring club runner, Ollie - an aspiring actor, and Squirrel - gifted with math, partner up to canvas for a nightclub. With Mason’s help, Cole was able to perform that night, where he meets the headliner, a once-innovative DJ, James Reed. James invites Cole to a party, where Cole hallucinates because a spliff they shared contained Phencyclidine (PCP). The morning after, Cole wakes up at James' lavish home, where he is introduced to Sophie, James' girlfriend and personal assistant, who drives him home. Unhappy with their earnings from canvassing, Cole and his friends seek employment with Paige Morrell, who manages a real estate solutions firm, providing promising income.

Later, James employs Cole to DJ for a house party and is impressed by his performance. Mason, Ollie, and Squirrel show up and after a party-goer insults Mason; a physical dispute takes place. The group is forcefully escorted out of the gathering. However, James sees the potential in Cole and takes him as his student; focusing on organic originality, increasing the number of performances and earnings. One night, Cole was invited to escort Sophie to her college soirée - where it was revealed that Sophie dropped out due to humiliation after being sexually exploited. Cole defends her and Sophie expressed her and James’ appreciation for his demeanor and artistry. One weekend, Cole and his friends head to Las Vegas for a electronic music festival, where he meets up with Sophie, whom James ditched. Sophie gives Cole MDMA - both leave the festival for the Las Vegas Strip in which a one-night stand ensues. Back in Los Angeles, James provides Cole with new equipment and presented the opportunity to open for him at an upcoming music festival in Downtown Los Angeles called ‘SummerFest’. Cole graciously accepts the offer. One day, Cole and Paige meet up with Tanya Romero, whose house is in the process of being foreclosed. During the negotiation, Paige buys her house and rents it back to her, intending to sell it quickly at a higher price, which angers Cole. Despite a brief confrontation, Paige substantially pays Cole for his assistance in the acquisition. Amidst relationship problems, James finds out about Cole and Sophie’s relationship - forcing him to cut ties with them.

Returning to his three friends, it is revealed that Squirrel had been looking for better job opportunities, wanting to expand his horizons outside of the San Fernando Valley. Using his earnings, Mason enthusiastically reveals to Cole, Ollie, and Squirrel that he rented out a house intending for them to live and grow in their respective paths. Following an intense night of partying with alcohol, drugs, and music; Squirrel is found unconscious the next morning, eventually passing from an overdose. After the funeral, the remaining friends begin to question their future. Ollie comes to a realization that they are unable to actualize their goals. The confrontation briefly turns violent as Mason blames Ollie for the drugs that killed Squirrel, causing Ollie to leave the group. Cole visits James, whose alcoholism has completely consumed him, to let him know of Squirrel's death and that it could possibly have been his fault. James consoles him and mentions that Sophie moved to the San Fernando Valley and works at a local coffee shop, where he later visits.

During a run, Cole begins to notice the natural sounds of his surroundings, which inspires him to record samples and integrate them into his long-awaited track. Cole tells James that he is ready and has something for SummerFest - James gives him another chance. The festival is set outside the American Apparel building in Los Angeles. Cole plays his track, which contains soundbites of conversations with Sophie and Squirrel. When the song ends, Cole is met with enthusiastic acclaim from the audience and James. The film concludes with a montage of the characters venturing out into their respective paths of life: Ollie prepares for an audition, Mason running operations at the nightclub, and Cole remains positive about his future and creating a proper relationship with Sophie, who returned back to school.

In the mid-credits scene, Tanya opens her front door to an Adidas shoebox that Cole has been saving his earnings in throughout the film.

Rating: 10 Stars

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, 2016

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (released in some countries as Bad Neighbours 2 and on home release as Neighbors 2) is a 2016 American comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and written by Stoller, Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O'Brien, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. A sequel to Neighbors (2014), the plot follows the Radners (Rogen and Rose Byrne) having to outwit a new sorority led by Shelby (Chloë Grace Moretz), living next door to sell their house currently in escrow. Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jerrod Carmichael, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, Hannibal Buress, and Lisa Kudrow reprise their roles from the first film; it was Rogen's first live-action sequel. The film premiered on April 26, 2016, in Berlin and was released on May 20, 2016, in the United States, receiving mostly positive reviews and grossed $108 million worldwide.

TRAILER

PLOT 

Mac and Kelly Radner are expecting their second child, and prepare to sell their home to the Baiers family; the Radners' realtor reminds them that the house is in escrow for 30 days. Mac's friend Jimmy and his wife Paula are also expecting a baby. College freshman Shelby meets fellow freshmen Beth and Nora. Learning that sororities are not allowed to host parties, and disgusted by sexist and predatory frat parties, the trio create a new sorority, Kappa Nu, to throw their own parties.

Teddy Sanders hosts poker night with his former frat brothers. Pete has become a successful architect and come out of the closet, Scoonie has launched his own mobile app, and Garf is a rookie cop since graduating, but Teddy now has a criminal record and cannot find a worthwhile job.

The friends help Pete's boyfriend Darren propose, leading Pete to ask Teddy to move out. Distraught, Teddy runs to the old frat house, next door to the Radners. He meets Shelby, Beth, and Nora, the girls hoping to rent the house for Kappa Nu but unable to afford it. Finding an opportunity to be valued, Teddy offers to help them throw parties, earning enough donations and new members to pay rent.

Fearing that the sorority will scare off the Baiers, Mac and Kelly ask Shelby to temporarily refrain from partying, but she refuses. The Radners go to Dean Gladstone, who cannot control an independent sorority, and Shelby's father, who also fails to help, leading Kappa Nu to prank the Radners. Mac, Kelly, Jimmy, and Paula retaliate, infesting the sorority house with bed bugs, forcing the girls to evacuate and pay for fumigation tenting, just in time for the Baiers' visit. Teddy argues with Pete about the state of his life and moves into the sorority.

Low on funds to pay rent, the girls plan to sell marijuana at their 'tailgate party', eliminating the competition by getting all other dealers arrested. When Teddy objects, the girls kick him out, and he joins the Radners to take down Kappa Nu. They infiltrate the party, and Teddy distracts the girls while Mac steals their marijuana. Realizing Teddy's lack of direction in life, Mac and Kelly let him stay with them. The girls switch Mac and Kelly's cell phone numbers with their own and send text messages tricking Mac into flying to Sydney, Australia. Returning home, the Radners find Kappa Nu has robbed and vandalized their house, and the Baiers threaten to pull out from the sale unless the sorority is kicked out.

The sorority receives an eviction notice, and Shelby reluctantly organizes a sexually gratuitous frat-style party to raise money. As Mac and Kelly wait to call the police, Jimmy and Paula sneak into the party, while Teddy is unable to shut off the sorority's power. Shelby steals Mac and Kelly's phones and locks Mac and Teddy in the garage, but they break out using airbags. Overhearing Beth and Nora confront Shelby for compromising their original goals, Kelly encourages the girls not to give up on themselves. Paula goes into labor, and Teddy reconciles with Pete and Darren, happily agreeing to serve as their best man. The sorority enjoys a more empowering party for themselves and discover a crowd of girls from other sororities wanting to join Kappa Nu. With an overflow of money and new members, the sorority is able to keep their home, and the Radners agree to rent their house to Kappa Nu as well, earning them a bigger cashflow than selling the house.

Three months later, Teddy has become a successful wedding planner for gay couples, utilizing his party-planning experience; he prepares Pete to walk down the aisle. Mac and Kelly have moved into their new home, with no close neighbors, and realized they have been good parents all along. They bring home their new baby, Mildred, to meet Jimmy and Paula with their new son, Jimmy Jr.

Rating: 10 Stars 

Neighbors, 2014

Neighbors (released in some countries as Bad Neighbours) is a 2014 American bromantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien. The film stars Seth Rogen and Zac Efron with Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse in supporting roles. The plot follows a couple who come into conflict with a fraternity that has recently moved in next door, which leads them into an all-out war.

Trailer

PLOT

Mac Radner and his Australian-born wife Kelly are adjusting to life with their infant daughter, Stella. The restrictions of parenthood make it difficult for them to maintain their old lifestyle, which alienates them from their friends Jimmy Blevins and his ex-wife, Paula. Delta Psi Beta, a fraternity known for outrageous parties, moves in next door. The fraternity's leaders, Teddy Sanders and Pete Regazolli aspire to join Delta Psi's Hall of Fame by throwing a massive end-of-the-year party.

The Radners ask Teddy to keep the noise down and to earn their favor, he invites them to join the party. Kelly meets Teddy's girlfriend Brooke Shy, and Teddy shows Mac his bedroom, which includes a stash of fireworks and a breaker box that controls the house’s power. Teddy agrees to manage the noise but has Mac and Kelly promise to always call him instead of the police. The following night, when the party next door keeps Stella awake, Mac is unable to reach Teddy. Kelly convinces Mac to call the police anonymously, but Officer Watkins identifies them to Teddy. Betrayed, Teddy leads Delta Psi in hazing Mac and Kelly, resulting in Stella nearly eating an unused condom after the fraternity dumps their garbage on the Radners’ lawn. Mac and Kelly go to the college dean Carol Gladstone, but the school has a “three strikes” policy before it will intervene; Delta Psi's first strike was burning down their old house.

Failing to force the fraternity to move by damaging their house, Kelly manipulates Pete and Brooke into having sex, and Mac leads Teddy to catch them in the act. Teddy and Pete fight and a barbecue grill injures a passing professor. This gives Delta Psi their second strike and places them on probation, effectively ending their party plans. Determined to shut down the fraternity, Mac, and Kelly enlist the help of Jimmy, who is jealous that Paula is sleeping with Delta Psi member Scoonie. To acquire evidence of Delta Psi's hazing, they hire a pledge nicknamed Assjuice to stand up to Teddy and record him threatening retaliation. When Teddy instead shows him kindness, he reveals that Mac and Kelly hired him and are trying to sabotage the fraternity. A vengeful Teddy violently pranks the Radners and Jimmy with airbags.

They send Teddy a counterfeit letter from Gladstone lifting Delta Psi’s probation. The fraternity prepares for its end-of-the-year party, which Mac, Kelly, and Jimmy widely publicize to ensure it will be out of control. Once the party is in full swing, they notify the police, but Teddy realizes what the Radners have done, and stops the party just as Watkins arrives. Jimmy throws himself from the balcony to distract Teddy, allowing Kelly to sneak into Teddy's bedroom as Mac fights him off. Unable to open the breaker box to restart the party and alert Watkins, Kelly shoots one of the fireworks at his patrol car. Paula convinces Scoonie to turn on the power, reigniting the party, and she reunites with Jimmy. Teddy takes the blame for the party, convincing Pete to flee with the others, and is arrested; the fraternity is shut down.

Four months later, Mac runs into Teddy, who is working as a shirtless greeter at Abercrombie & Fitch. They greet each other warmly and Teddy reveals he is attending night classes to complete his degree. Mac takes off his shirt and jokingly acts as a greeter with Teddy. Later, Mac and Kelly take pictures of Stella in various costumes for a calendar. They get a call from Jimmy and Paula inviting them to attend Burning Man. Mac and Kelly decline, accepting their new roles as parents.

Rating: 10 Stars

A Family Affair, 2024, Netflix Top 10

A Family Affair is a 2024 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard LaGravenese and written by Carrie Solomon. The film stars Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King, Liza Koshy, and Kathy Bates. The film revolves around a widowed writer who begins a relationship with a young actor whom her daughter works for. It was released by Netflix on June 28, 2024.

Trailer

PLOT

24-year-old Zara, the personal assistant to self-absorbed Hollywood star Chris Cole, is tired of being underappreciated. She is expected to help him when he breaks up with women, and he doesn't heed her advice to get a different writer to rewrite a bad script. When Chris changes the gate code on her while she is talking to a writer, Zara quits.

A short time later, Chris goes to Zara's house to offer her an assistant producer position as he misses her but instead finds her widowed author mother Brooke, as Zara is running errands. Deciding to wait for her, he explains to Brooke that his script is bad, and they soon hit it off. By the time Zara returns, she unwittingly walks in on Brooke and Chris having sex.

Chris promises Zara it won't happen again, so Zara returns to work for him as associate producer. He invites Brooke to dinner, and they again connect intimately.

Zara discovers that Chris hired Brooke as his new writer and confronts them at a gala. Brooke says she's happy with Chris and hasn't been this happy since she was with her husband, disregarding her daughter's pain and her concern he will hurt Brooke as he often does with fans who date him.

The family and Chris visit Brooke's mother-in-law Leila's house for Christmas. Leila convinces Zara to let her mom have fun. Brooke tells her mother-in-law that she was having relationship problems with Zara's dad even before he died, and Zara overhears this conversation. Later, while putting bags in the car, Zara notices diamond earrings in Chris's bag.

At home, Zara tells Brooke and Chris how bad Chris is, claiming that he buys the same earrings for everyone he breaks up with and already has a pair ready. This revelation prompts Brooke to ask Chris to leave.

Later, at the studio, Zara is asked to find Chris, who is upset and alone. Chris confides in her, expressing doubt about playing the good guy. He clarifies that he wasn't planning to break up with Brooke; he just forgot the earrings were in his bag because he often ends relationships impulsively. Zara then goes to Brooke, admitting she was wrong about Chris, but Brooke refuses to listen.

Zara orchestrates an encounter between her, Chris, and Brooke at the supermarket, explains her mistake, and apologizes to them. Following this reconciliation, Chris and Brooke get back together, and a year later, their relationship is still going strong.

Rating: 10 Stars 

Pompeii, 2014 (Netflix Leaving Soon)

Pompeii is a 2014 epic romantic historical disaster film produced and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. An international co-production between the United States, Germany and Canada, it is inspired by and based on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD that destroyed Pompeii, a city of the Roman Empire. The film stars Kit Harington and Emily Browning, with Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica Lucas, Jared Harris and Kiefer Sutherland in supporting roles.

Pompeii shows clearly that the bad humans actions are not tolerated by the Nature. This Volcano gave them their judgement, they were all exterminated by their own actions. 

TRAILER

PLOT

In northern Britannia, 62 AD, Roman soldiers led by general Corvus wipe out a tribe of Celtic horsemen. Corvus personally kills the parents of a boy named Milo. Being the only survivor, Milo is later captured by slave traders.

Seventeen years later, in Londinium in 79 AD, the grown Milo becomes a popular gladiator. His owner, Graecus brings the gladiators to Pompeii. Also going there is Cassia and her servant Ariadne, who return after a year in Rome.

When Milo treats one of their horses with kindness, Cassia becomes enamored of him. Her parents are the city governor Severus and his wife Aurelia. One of their servants is later swallowed up when a quake from Mount Vesuvius opens up the ground under him.

In Pompeii, Milo develops a rivalry with Atticus, a champion gladiator who, by Roman law, will be given his freedom after he earns one more victory. The gladiators are shown off at a party where Corvus, now a Senator, announces that he will invest in Severus' plans to rebuild Pompeii. Cassia left Rome to escape Corvus' advances.

When an earthquake causes some horses to become anxious, Milo helps calm one down. He then takes Cassia on a ride. Being aware that they cannot be together, he returns her to the villa. Not recognizing Milo, Corvus is ready to kill him, but Cassia pleads for his life. Milo is lashed for his actions, and Atticus admits respect for his rival.

In the Amphitheatre of Pompeii, to punish Milo, Corvus orders him killed in the first battle, and trainer Bellator convinces Graecus to sacrifice Atticus, as well. The two men, and other slaves, are chained to rocks as other gladiators come out as Roman soldiers, to recreate Corvus' victory over the Celts. Working together, Milo and Atticus survive the battle, with the latter realizing the Romans will never honor his freedom.

Meanwhile, Corvus forces Cassia to agree to marry him by threatening to have her family killed for supposed treason against Emperor Titus. When Milo and Atticus win, Cassia defies Corvus by holding a “thumbs-up”, saving them from execution. Corvus has her locked up in the villa and has his officer Proculus fight Milo one-on-one. Their battle is interrupted when Mount Vesuvius erupts, creating tremors that cause the arena to collapse, sending Milo and Proculus crashing to the dungeons. Milo opens up the gates, allowing his fellow gladiators a chance to attack; Proculus escapes, while Bellator is killed. Enraged, Severus tries to kill Corvus, who stabs him instead and escapes.

Flaming debris rain down upon the city as everyone tries to flee to the harbor. One fireball sinks a ship, killing the escaping Graecus. Before dying, Aurelia tells Milo that Cassia is at the villa. There, Milo manages to save Cassia, but Ariadne is killed when the villa collapses into the Mediterranean Sea. Atticus tries to reach the harbor, which is destroyed with several ships when a tsunami created by the volcano smashes into the city. Reuniting with Atticus, Milo suggests searching the arena for horses to escape. As the gladiators face Roman soldiers at the arena, Cassia is abducted by Corvus. Milo chases after the chariot carrying the two while Atticus fights Proculus. Atticus is mortally wounded in the duel, but nonetheless manages to kill Proculus.

Cassia frees herself before the chariot crashes into the Temple of Apollo. Milo and Corvus duel as a fireball destroys the temple. Cassia chains Corvus to a building, as Milo reveals who he is. He declares that his gods are coming to punish Corvus. Milo and Cassia ride off as a pyroclastic surge races into the city, incinerating Corvus.

At the arena, Atticus proclaims that he dies a free man before being consumed with the city. At the outskirts, the horse throws off Milo and Cassia. Milo tells Cassia to leave him, realising the horse is not fast enough to carry them both. Instead, she sends the horse off, knowing they cannot outrun the surge.

Milo kisses Cassia as the surge engulfs them; as the dust settles their petrified bodies are shown in an eternal embrace.

Rating: 10 Stars. 

Gladiator, 2000 (Netflix Leaving Soon)

Gladiator is a 2000 epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. It stars Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi, and Djimon Hounsou.

TRAILER

PLOT

In 180 AD, the Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius intends to return home after he leads the Roman army to victory against Germanic tribes near Vindobona. Emperor Marcus Aurelius tells Maximus that his own son, Commodus, is unfit to rule and that he wishes Maximus to succeed him, as regent, to restore the Roman Republic. Angered by this decision, Commodus secretly murders his father.

Commodus proclaims himself the new emperor and requests loyalty from Maximus, who refuses. Maximus is arrested by Praetorian Guards led by Quintus, who tells him that he and his family will die. Maximus kills his captors and, wounded, rides for his home near Turgalium, where he finds his wife and son executed. Maximus buries them and collapses from his injuries. He is found by slave traders, who take him to Zuccabar in the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis and sell him to the gladiator trainer Proximo.

Maximus reluctantly fights in local tournaments, his combat skills helping him win matches and gain popularity. He earns the nickname "the Spaniard" and befriends Juba, an African gladiator from Carthage. In Rome, Commodus organizes 150 days of gladiatorial games to commemorate his father and win the approval of the Roman public. Upon hearing this, Proximo reveals to Maximus that he was once a gladiator who was freed by Marcus Aurelius, and advises him to "win the crowd" to gain his freedom.

Proximo takes his gladiators to fight in Rome's Colosseum. Disguised in a masked helmet, Maximus debuts in the arena as a Carthaginian in a re-enactment of the Battle of Zama. Unexpectedly, he leads his side to victory and wins the crowd's support. Commodus and his young nephew, Lucius, enter the Colosseum to offer their congratulations. Seeing Lucius, Maximus refrains from attacking Commodus, who orders him to reveal his identity; Maximus removes his helmet and declares vengeance. Commodus is compelled by the crowd to let Maximus live. That evening, Maximus is visited by Lucilla, his former lover and Commodus's sister. Distrusting her, Maximus refuses her help.

Commodus arranges a duel between Maximus and Tigris of Gaul, an undefeated gladiator. Several tigers are set upon Maximus, but he prevails. At the crowd's desire, Commodus orders Maximus to kill Tigris, but Maximus spares his life in defiance. In response, the crowd chants "Maximus the Merciful", angering Commodus. To provoke Maximus, Commodus taunts him about the murder of his family, but Maximus resists the urge to strike him. Increasingly paranoid, Commodus instructs his advisor, Falco, to have every senator followed, and refuses to have Maximus killed for fear he will become a martyr.

Maximus discovers from Cicero, his ex-orderly, that his former legions remain loyal to him. He meets in secret with Lucilla and Gracchus, an influential senator. They agree to help Maximus escape Rome to join his legions in Ostia, topple Commodus by force, and hand power back to the Roman Senate. The Praetorians arrest Gracchus. Lucilla meets Maximus at night to arrange his escape; they share a kiss. Commodus becomes suspicious when Lucilla's son, Lucius, innocently hints at the conspiracy. Commodus threatens Lucilla and Lucius, and has the Praetorians attack the gladiators' barracks. Proximo and his men sacrifice themselves to enable Maximus to escape. Maximus is captured at the rendezvous with Cicero, where the latter is killed.

Commodus demands that Lucilla provide him with an heir. He challenges Maximus to a duel in the Colosseum to win back public approval, and stabs him before the match to gain an advantage. Despite his injury, Maximus disarms Commodus during the duel. After Quintus and the Praetorians refuse to help him, Commodus unsheathes a hidden knife; Maximus overpowers Commodus and drives the knife into his throat, killing him. Before Maximus succumbs to his wound, he asks for political reforms, the emancipation of his gladiator allies, and the reinstatement of Gracchus as senator. As he dies, Maximus envisions reuniting with his wife and son in the afterlife. His friends and allies honor him as "a soldier of Rome" and carry his body out of the arena. That night, Juba visits the Colosseum and buries figurines of Maximus's wife and son at the spot where he died.

Rating: 10 Stars