Gladiator (1992)

I think we can safely tick all the boxes above.I am a huge fan of the sport of boxing and a big fan of boxing movies, for the most part. I have also noted on multiple occasions how good and versatile an actor Cuba Gooding JR. At this point in his career, Gooding JR was still in his early stages, but comes through like a champ in this interesting and gritty underground pugilism movie.There are lots of montages, plenty of boxing set to cheesy motivational 80s songs. The finale is quite ludicrous but inevitable in these types of flicks, and good triumphs over evil as it tends to do in movies if not real life.It will never be known as a classic but is in the same vein as some of Van Damme's best… If you love boxing and are a fan of the ridiculous, GLADIATOR is for you. I highly recommend it."Anger is the enemy."

Gladiator is the movie for those who like action movies and for those who are 13 and older. It is a prime time movie. Watch it alone or with friends, it doesn't matter. You will too absorbed in the movie to socialize much with others. Gladiator could be seen as a black v white movie. However, it later becomes an us v them movie. This is the first movie I can recall seeing Cuba Gooding Jr. in. He is really good in this movie. Amateur or pre-professional boxing must be really grueling like pro. The film makes one wonder on just how corrupt the sport of boxing really is. The film keeps you on your toes. You'll forget about your beer and popcorn in this movie. Enjoy the fight.

Prepare to be lifted up mind, body and soul.....Outstanding script, casting, acting, beautiful dialogues, musical score by Brad Fiedel (The Terminator,and T2), brilliant boxing cinematography by Tak Fujimoto (Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia).This magnificent film has not been given its due respect. Those of you that haven't watched it, do so now. It will change your perspective of life forever. The meaning of the film title Gladiator means strong in body and mind ans it portrays its central character and hero Tommy Riley.Always fight for truth and justice, and to stick to your true friends is the theme of this film. Tommy Riley (James Marshall) and his father have just moved in an attempt to start a new life. Tommy's father has accumulated many gambling debts, but has found a new job that requires him to travel extensively, leaving his son alone at home. Tommy also has a hard time fitting in at school, having crossed some gang members led by "short cut". A loan shark, named Sharkey, sends two collectors to Tommy Riley's house where he is threatened unless his father pays off a 1250 dollar debt. He takes a job at a local diner but is jumped by the gang members outside the restaurant. Seeing how well Tommy is able to fight, a local boxing promoter by the name of Pappy Jack (Robert Loggia) offers Tommy a chance to fight in an illegal underground boxing operation. Tommy then agrees to fight one match, in exchange for 1250 dollars in order to pay off the debt. This decision to fight will change his life forever...Outstanding acting by James Marshall (as Tommy Riley), Cuba Gooding Jr. (as Abraham "Lincoln" Haines), veteran actors Brian Dennehy (as Jimmy Horn) and Robbert Loggia (as Pappy Jack) not to mention the incredible performance by Jon Seda (as Romano) and Ossie Davis (as Noah).P.S. Mr Sylvester Stallone, please see this film. The boxing matches exceed even those seen in your Rocky films.

The overall rating for this movie is obviously an error. I suggest that the editors of IMDb should review the ratings and make a correction. I looked at all 19 reviews, and obviously the average rating is more in the 7 range. Must be a bug in the IMDb rating calculation system.Anyway - this is a solid and entertaining movie with a tight and fast paced script, good acting, action, a little romance, and a realistic atmosphere and depiction of the gritty underground boxing game. It's as good as any of the "Rocky" movies at a fraction of the production cost. It's a shame that it didn't gain more recognition.I also wonder what happened to James Marshall. He's a good enough actor and "presence" to carry a leading-man role, but seemed to disappear.