content: This was a good action flick, and all the fights and battles are great. Russel Crowe does a great job and deserves praise. But the movie doesn't flow logically. The reasons Crowe was made a slave aren't clear... he's crying at the death of his family, and a foot appears... next he's a slave. This coming from the man who has fought his way out of so many battles, including death in Germany when the current ruler was overthrown. There are several moments where I wasn't sure why things were happening. That's okay for an action flick, but I expect more from the Academy. Are we ready to throw plot development out the window when the action is good? Man, I hope not! By the way, the recreation of Rome was awesome, another plus for the movie. So why did I give it only two stars? Well, to be honest, in protest over the Academy's nomination... not that the field was all that great this year...