Although the films starts out with an action filled forest attack on the column of a newly married bride (Michelle Lukes) and the leader (Tom McKay) of one of the bands of warring barbarian clans, it quickly descends into a series of intricate plots and counter-plots. Urbina Prima, scheming wife of Maximus (Brian Caspe) the leader of the Northern Roman Army plots with Argos Sertorius (Jim High) and others to have her son Cassius positioned to be the next Emperor of Rome. Viewer interest in this long string of plots and counter-plots is daftly maintained by the ever presence of numerous bare-chested or thinly veiled young women and the occasional nude, both male and female. Betrayals and kidnappings prevail until the sub-climatic fight between Tom McKay and a pair of prize Roman gladiators. Here the use of slow-motion and quick cuts imparts a sense of action with Tom McKay as the obvious winner against all odds. Meanwhile, Maximus over-indulges his adopted son Cassius to gain Cassius' confidence only to betray him and his mother Urbina Prima when, at the moment of Cassius' inauguration as Emperor, Maximus convinces the dim-witted Cassius to adopt Maximus as Cassius's legal son, thus allowing Maximus to immediately slay Cassius once he is made Emperor and take the title for himself. Maximus then divorces and enslaves his wife Urbina Prima as her just reward for all her scheming. Feeling magnanimous, Maximus sends Tom Mckay as a slave prize to a rival barbarian war-lord King to gain his approval and avoid future fights with the Roman Army. This war-lord King reveals to Tom McKay that his young wife was given to him as part of Urbina Prima's schemes and that she is now with-child from his nephew and wishes to remain in his kingdom. She chose life over love. The love- stricken Tom McKay is given his freedom vowing to never lose his love for her and now must begin a quest to gain his place in the world as a set-up for a part two - if this film is successful.
Overall, I would have to say that the acting by Tom McKay and Brian Caspe is well done even thought they are set in a slow-motion plot with the supporting actors giving their lines like they were slowly reading them from Que cards. There really isn't enough action to call this an action film and no depth of characters to call this a drama. However, there is plenty of eye-candy with numerous window dressing half and full naked babes. The Emperor of Rome is crowned in the North, so there are no shot of Rome and it is hardly believable that only a pair of senators is needed to make a boy an Emperor. The chances of their being a sequel are slim, and if they do make one that should put in a lot more action scenes because the writers do not appear capable of making an interesting plot.
Overall, I would have to say that the acting by Tom McKay and Brian Caspe is well done even thought they are set in a slow-motion plot with the supporting actors giving their lines like they were slowly reading them from Que cards. There really isn't enough action to call this an action film and no depth of characters to call this a drama. However, there is plenty of eye-candy with numerous window dressing half and full naked babes. The Emperor of Rome is crowned in the North, so there are no shot of Rome and it is hardly believable that only a pair of senators is needed to make a boy an Emperor. The chances of their being a sequel are slim, and if they do make one that should put in a lot more action scenes because the writers do not appear capable of making an interesting plot.