Gladiator

Some movies you put on and tolerate. This one grabbed me by the collar and didn't let go.

Russell Crowe is at the peak of his powers here. Same with Djimon Hounsou and Connie Nielsen. Everyone showed up, everyone delivered, no weak link in the cast.

This one grabbed me by the collar and didn't let go.

The setting pulled me in. The direction pulled me in. Hell, the whole damn movie pulled me in and didn't let go until the credits. Watching it with friends in a theater absolutely made it better, the kind of experience that reminds you why the big screen still matters.

My one complaint? I wanted more. That's it. That's the whole gripe. When your biggest problem with a movie is that you didn't want it to end, the filmmakers did their job.