Gladiator(2000) - why all the love?
It's so historically inaccurate. Marcus Aurelius did not want to restore the Republic. Commodus was assassinated by his guards, not killed in the arena by a fictional Maximus. Also when the emperor signaled execution it was thumbs up, not thumbs down.
Oh but beautifully shot and nice score.
Good actors and character development, classic underdog story, the music is also great...what's not to like? It doesn't need to be historically accurate to be entertaining. Braveheart is a great film but 0/10 for historical accuracy.
why all the love?
NEVER ask this question decades after the release of any product. Never.
You're missing all the context and the circumstances surrounding the release. You don't recall what alternatives were available back then. You no longer feel the atmosphere of "these days".