I gladiatori della strada

Gladiator is a boxing movie which does more than tell you about boxing. James Marshall (A Few Good Men, Twin Peaks) stars as a young man who is forced to move to a poor neighborhood and fend for himself while his dad travels to find work and pay off his gambling debts. In order to make some money, a talented boxer, Marshall joins a crooked boxing organization. He signs up with a former fighter, perfectly played by Brian Dennehey (Tommy Boy, F/X), soon he begins to form a friendship with the top boxer in the league, well-played by Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire, Outbreak). After a while, the crooked boxing and an upcoming fight against a possibly brain-damaged Gooding Jr. makes Marshall re-evaluate what he's doing. Robert Loggia (Independence Day, Lost Highway) beautifully plays another crooked person involved in the organization. Ossie Davis (Doctor Dolittle, I'm Not Rappaport) gives the film a heart as Marshall's manager. Finally, Marshall delivers a strong performance that will make you cheer for him. This film's entertaining boxing scenes and good moral make it a great film

Through the Nineties I did my trips to the video shop to rent B movies as they were mostly better than the Hollywood ones and Gladiator is the one B Movie which stands out. If you watch it now you would compare it to the likes of Rocky and 8 Mile because of it's background set around a dead less town with nobody but dead weights.

I think James Marshall is playing his best [performance of his career which isn't didn't last that long. Cuba Gooding Jnr will be most recognised here as Lincoln. Also there is Brain Dennehy and Robert Loggia as the would be villains. Tommy Riley played by Marshall is a loner and keeps himself to himself but because of this he attracts trouble on his first day in school since moving with his father who is an addictive drunk and gambler who is sorting his life out. Tommy one night is working at the local café and is confronted outside by the local gang run by there leader Short Cut. Punches are thrown and Tommy comes better off but they are interrupted by Pappy Jack played by Robert Loggia who scouts and looks for would be Boxer hopefuls to put them into the ring in illegal boxing. To clear his father's debts he is taken in by the money that the boxing offers and as much he tries to get out of it there is always something bringing him back. Here he meets Romano and becomes friendly with Lincoln and is a household name but knows it's not long till his own brain will be crushed without repair. The man that decides everything is Horn played brilliantly by Brian Dennehy who always has something on each Boxer to continue Boxing and make him more Money than he already has. Greed has an obvious big part to play in the film but what is great to see is how all the young characters bond well as they are into the same mess as each other but know there is no other way out to make money for their families and to get by. There are scenes where you will cheer harder than you did for rocky but it's the performance as with rocky that steal the show with everyone on top form and not one bad word to be said. Films like this are not made these days so appreciate this for what it did in the nineties and also probably helped some careers especially Cuba Gooding who starred in this not much longer after Boyz N The Hood. If you get the chance then watch this as it has a story than it strong enough to better the likes of 8 Mile and has better performances and memorable characters and a the same time will make you feel good about yourself which is why gladiator is the important film that I will always remember.

First of all, this rating is ridiculous. I remember watching Gladiator when it first came out on video and now a few times on television. No it won't win any Oscars and it's not a dramatic masterpiece but it's never boring and moves along nicely. The fight scenes are entertaining, the chemistry between Marshall and Cuba is there, and the majority of the characters are developed. The only thing that fails is the love story, but I guess every film with teens has to have one. As far as people complaining about Marshall's wooden performance, I personally liked it. Not everyone is a charismatic, everyone is drawn to me type of person. He played it low-key, brooding, quiet, somewhat anti-social and it worked. If a film like this was made today, it would be a dumbed-down PG-13 version critics would probably love because it tells the story of a kid overcoming the obstacles. Rent it if you're an action fan, you won't be disappointed.

It might not be on the level of the first Rocky or of Cinderella Man and it gets largely forgotten due to sharing its name with a giant epic of a movie but this is an underappreciated gem form the early 90's which I used to watch repeatedly. It's a rousing and well choreographed fight movie with a likable protagonist. Many have criticized Marshall's performance as stiff but I think it works for the character and his stoic nature. Dennehy was great as the antagonist, one of his better roles honestly. There is some cheesiness and you do get one or two montages which feel like holdouts from the 80's but this is a really good movie with a lot of heart which films from this genre seriously lack these days. Within the category of boxing films it is in my top 5 for sheer enjoyment of it.

After decades, I see it as a good film. For themes, sensitive ones, from the sacrifice for help the father to the illegal boxing circle, from acting ( after Twin Peaks , a real interesting work of James Marshall , impressive job of Brian Dennehy, a young Cuba Gooding jr. Proposing the fair portrait of Lincoln and, not the last, Robert Loggia ).

But the great virtue remains the 1990 atmosphere , fair defined scene by scene.

Indeed, a too used subject but , in this case, in touching manner, convincing in some measure. And, maybe, in strange way, for very subjective reasons, a memorable film for not so young public.