Russell Crowe

Gladiator (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes moviemaking back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, Titanic, it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marveling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marveling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly cements his star status both in terms of screen presence and acting chops, carrying the film on his decidedly non-computer-generated shoulders as he goes from brave general to wounded fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. Gladiator's plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, are shot with a veracity that brings to mind--believe it or not--Saving Private Ryan, even if everyone is wearing a toga. As Crowe's nemesis, the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix chews scenery with authority, whether he's damning Maximus's popularity with the Roman mobs or lusting after his sister Lucilla (beautiful but distant Connie Nielsen); Oliver Reed, in his last role, hits the perfect notes of camp and gravitas as the slave owner who rescues Maximus from death and turns him into a coliseum star. Director Scott's visual flair is abundantly in evidence, with breathtaking shots and beautiful (albeit digital) landscapes, but it's Crowe's star power that will keep you in thrall--he's a true gladiator, worthy of his legendary status. Hail the conquering hero! --Mark Englehart

Proof of Life

When someone in Proof of Life says "Don't leave me hanging," you can bet they're going to be left hanging. That's what happens when Alice Bowman (Meg Ryan) learns that her husband Peter (David Morse) has been kidnapped by rebels in the (fictional) Latin American country of Tecala. He's building a corporate-funded dam there, and that makes him a fine target for kidnap by the rebels, who barter with the lives of well-insured executives. Enter Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe), former soldier-turned-"K&R" (kidnap and ransom) negotiator for a global firm that collects a commission for rescued hostages. With no guarantee of payment, Thorne takes the job out of moral obligation (and a yearning for would-be widow Alice).

There's little room for delicacy in Tony Gilroy's screenplay, adapted from an article by William Prochnau and the book Long Road to Freedom by kidnapping survivor Thomas Hargrove. A hint of romance between Crowe and Ryan (who enjoyed plenty of it off-screen) adds tension as the story shifts back and forth to Morse's captivity, but it also threatens to cast Alice in an unsympathetic light. Avoiding that pitfall, director Taylor Hackford crafts the plot as a latter-day Casablanca that unfolds on a grander canvas (at stunning locations in Ecuador) while favoring an exciting rescue-mission climax over the tragedy of an ill-timed affair. It might have worked better as a straightforward macho action flick (with David Caruso doing lively work as Crowe's gung-ho K&R cohort), but Proof of Life effectively conveys the two-sided torment of a hostage crisis, while Morse holds it all together as the character to root for. --Jeff Shannon

When her husband is kidnapped in a small South American country, Alice Bowman turns to Terry Thorne, a professional hostage negotiator, for help.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 8-FEB-2005
Media Type: DVD

Virtuosity

Sid 6.7, a virtual reality killer used to train cops, has escaped the bounds of cyberspace and it is up to Denzel Washington to destroy this seemingly unconquerable menace.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 20-DEC-2005
Media Type: DVD

No Way Back

The FBI, the Mafia, and the Yakuza (Japanese gangsters) fight to the death in this nonstop action thriller starring Russell Crowe (Gladiator). FBI agent Zack Grant (Crowe) sends beautiful rookie operative Seiko (Kelly Hu) on a sting operation against the depraved, skinhead son of a Mafia kingpin. Little does he know that Seiko is on a revenge mission of her own. This bloody situation escalates into all-out war, as the Mafia kingpin, Frank Serlano (Michael Lerner), and the head Yakuza, Yuji (Etsushi Toyokawa), get into the act. Grant is forced to go renegade from the bureau when Serlano kidnaps his young son, a plot point that certainly raises the story's emotional stakes. During an exciting airplane hijacking sequence, we meet Mary (Helen Slater), a dizzy blonde flight attendant who introduces an unexpected note of comic relief to the proceedings (along with a touch of romance). Crowe is convincing in Dirty Harry mode, bringing his characteristic intensity and empathy to the role. It's fun to watch a former Miss Hawaii, Kelly Hu, display her martial arts mastery, and the performances of Slater and Toyokawa are a cut above the action-genre norm. Still and all, No Way Back falls squarely into the "guilty pleasure" movie category. Writer-director Frank A. Cappello (American Yakuza), provides plenty of slam-bang, shoot-'em-up action, plus enough nail-biting suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. --Laura Mirsky

Russell Crowe Helen Slater and Michael Lerner star in this white-knuckle action thriller about one man's revenge and another man's redemption. Special Agent Zack Grant's career is on the line and he's given one last chance to prove himself. When the sting operation he's in charge of goes disastrously awry Grant finds himself with a mob vendetta on his hands. Mafia kingpin Frank Serlano has brutal revenge in mind and his target is Yuji the Japanese Yakuza he holds responsible for his son's murder. Serlano kidnaps Grant's young son in exchange for the delivery of Yuji. Agent Grant and Yuji's cross-country rendezvous with Serlano is further complicated when the duo are joined by a flighty flight attendant. With the mobster's ferocious skinhead assassins the Yakuza and the FBI all in hot pursuit the trio must risk everything - and now there's NO WAY BACK.System Requirements:Running Time: 91 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 043396058187

Heaven's Burning

Three troubled lives, two desperate lovers, one inescapable fate. Russell Crowe stars in an action-packed, suspense thriller that skirts the fine line between love, loyalty and deadly obsession. While honeymooning in Australia, Midori (Youki Kudoh) deserts her husband to run off with her lover. When he gets cold feet, she's left alone and bewildered in a strange country. A trip to the bank to exchange money results in her being taken hostage, only to be saved by Colin (Crowe), the getaway driver. On the run, Midori's jilted husband and the authorities in hot pursuit, the pair set off on wild ride across the country, falling in love along the way.