Any movie with Ossie Davis, Robert Loggia, and Brian Dennehy is going to be watchable, and Gladiator is no exception. Unfortunately, this tale of two friends in the underground world of extreme boxing can't quite overcome either its poorly constructed screenplay or the weakness of leading men James Marshall and Cuba Gooding Jr. Of the two, Gooding is better, but Marshall is uniformly poor in the dramatic scenes, though perfectly fine in the action sequences. The film also trips up by portraying its protagonists as the least likely high school students in America--in fact, everyone attending their school looks well into their mid-20s. When Gladiator concentrates on fight scenes--or when Davis, Loggia, and Dennehy are on screen--it's a more than adequate, though predictable, boxing drama. Overall, it's a disappointment, though not entirely without merit. Approach with low expectations, and you'll be moderately satisfied.
