Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great story that doesn't add too much to the movie, July 19, 2000
Anyone who's seen the movie knows that Gladiator has a strong story and script behind it. But, when it comes to novelizations I like to see a little extra background, perhaps more character development than you can have in the film. And that's where this book is a bit of a let down. This is a straight retelling of the screenplay with a couple of scenes that didn't make the movie, which where kind of nice to see. I remember when Commodus finds that Maximus is still alive and he was lied to when he thought he was dead, his sister tells him that the legion should know that lies should not be tolerated. In the movie, nothing really comes of that, but in the book it then later goes to a good scene where Commodus oversees the execution of those who told him Maximus was dead. It's just little touches like that. When I read a book, I want to feel like I'm experiencing something a little different than the movie. I felt that way when reading Terry Brooks novelization of The Phantom Menace or even Raymond Benson's novelization of Tomorrow Never Dies. I really didn't get that feeling with this one. So, in short, if you go into the book expecting the movie to be expanded on, prepare to be disappointed. However, if you really enjoyed the movie's great story as is and are expecting nothing else, this is a fast, fun read.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great tie in, May 9, 2000
I've seen Gladiator twice since the release on the weekend. It really is a great movie and this is a great companion piece to the book. My favorite novilizations of films are those where the author interprets what is on screen. Not something that is not there, leaving the reader wondering whether or not the author and the reader saw the same thing. But Gram stays 100% faithful to what is up there on screen. He gets every nuance and every characterization perfect. I probably could not have written it better myself. If you collect novilizations of your favorite novels you'll want to get this one.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Gladiator, June 5, 2000
By A Customer
This book, although well-written, was based solely on the screenplay. Therefore, if you are looking for further insight into the minds of the characters, you may feel disappointed. However, because the movie moves at such a lightning pace, this book succeeded in clarifying things I missed or that were unclear (i.e., Roman Empire history, what SPQR stands for, etc.). I recommend it as a nice addition to seeing the movie but it would have been better if the character development went deeper than it did.
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