I don't even know how to describe how much I love Spartacus, both the original and the prequel. I've watched the entire series all the way through at least four or five times because it's just that good. All you have to is read through the reviews to see how beloved this series is. The entire cast is just incredible. I think most people thought when Andy Whitfield tragically died and they had to recast the role of Spartacus that it would drop in quality. It didn't! As good as Whitfield was, Liam McIntyre stepped in and was just as good. It will grab your attention from the first episode and hold it throughout the series. If you haven't seen this amazing show yet stop what you're doing right now and go watch it!
511 Reviews
Perfect!
Supermanfan-1330 September 2020
Spartacus is ridiculously underrated and absolutely one of my favorite tv shows ever! It is one of the rare shows where each season is just as incredible as the others, all 4 seasons are fantastic & some of the best tv I've ever seen! I've watched the entire series 3 times already. After the original actor (Andrew Whitfield) who played Spartacus sadly died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after Season 1, they had to recast it and the actor who replaced him (Liam McIntyre) as Spartacus was just as terrific! Do yourself a favor and watch this incredible series immediately...you will not be disappointed! It really is the perfect show!
Watching it a second time!
eyeguy7223 July 2020
It's so good I'm watching it all over again. 10 years later it's still holds up. Amid all the glorious violence I had forgotten just how surprisingly emotional this series was.
If you have not seen it, watch it!
For fans of Gladiator, Xena, Hercules, and works by Sam Raimi. You need not have seen the original 1960 film Spartacus to enjoy the series as they are not related.
Warning - every episode contains nudity and explicit sex scenes. You have been warned.
And don't forget to watch the 6 episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which aired between seasons one and two, but could be watched after this series. This was basically a holdover for the fans while it was hoped for and assumed by everyone involved that Andy Whitfield's return would be eminent.
Sadly, Andy Whitfield was taken from us a year and a half after the final episode aired. If you like Andy and enjoyed his performance make sure to check out the documentary Be Here Now. RIP Andy Whitfield.
For fans of Gladiator, Xena, Hercules, and works by Sam Raimi. You need not have seen the original 1960 film Spartacus to enjoy the series as they are not related.
Warning - every episode contains nudity and explicit sex scenes. You have been warned.
And don't forget to watch the 6 episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which aired between seasons one and two, but could be watched after this series. This was basically a holdover for the fans while it was hoped for and assumed by everyone involved that Andy Whitfield's return would be eminent.
Sadly, Andy Whitfield was taken from us a year and a half after the final episode aired. If you like Andy and enjoyed his performance make sure to check out the documentary Be Here Now. RIP Andy Whitfield.
You may watch the first episode and want to turn it off, but don't!! Keep watching, it's worth it!!
cinema_forever1928 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The first episode, I have to admit starts off quite underwhelming. Even I had low expectations already... But after a couple more episodes, it gets good... But wait, it gets better, and better, and even better! 300, Gladiator and the original Spartacus ain't got nothing on this epic show!! Even Game of Thrones with it's disappointing final season may have competition with this badassery of show.
Captivating!
rexcapritarius4 August 2019
No need for a long review
gdonaldson-863996 January 2020
The complete series is an absolute masterpiece. As a former Australia producer I am so proud of the most sincere work not only from the cast but also the crew. Based in New Zealand it brings a complete smorgasbord of the great talents from director, producers, cinematography to a unique editing style and I must impress upon the casting just perfect.
To all involved you do yourselves proud and you bring credit to our industry. Job well done!
An imperfect pilot, but an epic show so far, if you manage look past the blood and nudity.
petarpeychinov9 February 2010
For me the pilot was something of a mix between the graphic violence of 300(it even includes somewhat similar battle sequences), the sex of 300, the idea of Gladiator and a bit of Rome. I almost stopped watching it and I'm glad I didn't do it. People would see the first episode and dismiss it as "gore and sex" time-wasting perversity. And they would be mistaken. The plot, filled with at first glance one-dimensional characters, is so varied, so deep, full of plot twists and unpredictable outcomes that you may find yourself glued to the screen.The sex is still there, the sexy images as well(muscular men and beautiful women), but the characters have gained so much depth and perspective, that you can't say someone is just white or black(with two exceptions). There are so many shades of gray in between, that most of the times even if you want to hate a character for plotting against the protagonist, you find yourself siding with him on another level. The protagonist is not a saint, the "bad guys" show they can love and cherish, and you see the other side of mighty Rome, the one not shown in "Rome". This show, even after the less than spectacular pilot, can be and for the moment is great and it's not the gore or sex that make it so.
In 300, Rome and even Gladiator, to which Spartacus: Blood and Sand is usually compared, the main characters are free men and women, people who act on their generally free will(yes, even in Gladiator). This show is different. Spartacus: Blood and Sand displays the Roman world through the eyes of the downtrodden, the helpless and the people without rights - the enslaved, THE underdogs, who eventually tried to defy the might of Rome, who lost and lost in an epic and tragic way and in their fall still achieved greatness and immortality. Among the nudity, spilling blood and duel sequences, Spartacus: Blood and Sand shows the viewer why freedom is such a cherished thing, what happens when we lose it and why people throughout time have risen to regain it and died pursuing it or defending it.
Some people mock the characters for being "one-dimensional" and demand more complexity. Others have voiced their contempt of the less than accurate representation of "the complex social system of Rome". Spartacus: Blood and Sand does not seek to represent the social system. For the people at the bottom of the ladder it was irrelevant whether Sulla was killing senators or Pompeus was gaining power. As for the one-dimensional characters, let me pound the obvious and say this - when you have to kill a friend at the command of your master, or be killed as well, there's no possibility for inner struggle or soul searching. You can't really disobey your master when humiliation, rape, torture and death lie just a whim away.
It's early to say definitely whether Spartacus: Blood and Sand will be a great TV show. It certainly is for now and gets better and better. Unless the creators manage to screw up gigantically, which they have avoided so far, this child of Starz can become epic.
In 300, Rome and even Gladiator, to which Spartacus: Blood and Sand is usually compared, the main characters are free men and women, people who act on their generally free will(yes, even in Gladiator). This show is different. Spartacus: Blood and Sand displays the Roman world through the eyes of the downtrodden, the helpless and the people without rights - the enslaved, THE underdogs, who eventually tried to defy the might of Rome, who lost and lost in an epic and tragic way and in their fall still achieved greatness and immortality. Among the nudity, spilling blood and duel sequences, Spartacus: Blood and Sand shows the viewer why freedom is such a cherished thing, what happens when we lose it and why people throughout time have risen to regain it and died pursuing it or defending it.
Some people mock the characters for being "one-dimensional" and demand more complexity. Others have voiced their contempt of the less than accurate representation of "the complex social system of Rome". Spartacus: Blood and Sand does not seek to represent the social system. For the people at the bottom of the ladder it was irrelevant whether Sulla was killing senators or Pompeus was gaining power. As for the one-dimensional characters, let me pound the obvious and say this - when you have to kill a friend at the command of your master, or be killed as well, there's no possibility for inner struggle or soul searching. You can't really disobey your master when humiliation, rape, torture and death lie just a whim away.
It's early to say definitely whether Spartacus: Blood and Sand will be a great TV show. It certainly is for now and gets better and better. Unless the creators manage to screw up gigantically, which they have avoided so far, this child of Starz can become epic.
Wasn't expecting much, but.... WOW.
meairton-3946314 August 2019
I started watching this very belatedly in early 2019 while waiting for the final season of Game of Thrones. I figured some swords-and-sandals would fit the bill in the meantime.
For the first two episodes, that's exactly what I got. Nothing special; a lot of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and colourful baroque mock-Shakespearean dialogue so over-the-top that I couldn't tell whether the acting was good or not. However, I had seen John Hannah (Batiatus) and Lucy Lawless (Lucretia) in other things before, so I stuck with it.
And damn, did the show hook me quickly after that. Yes, the dialogue is absurd and nobody ever spoke like that, but the actors deliver it with such unrestrained gusto and are clearly having such a blast making the show that you can't help but get swept up in it. Also, the dialogue has the added virtue of being clever and well-written: for example, there's a scene in the final season (don't worry, no spoilers) in which Marcus Crassus is having a discussion with his son Tiberius and a young Julius Caesar. Crassus is speaking to both of them, and they are answering him -- but Crassus is completely oblivious to the fact that Tiberius and Caesar are simultaneously having their own verbal sparring match against each other, while still advancing their three-way discussion. I rewound that scene a few times just to watch it play out.
Gory violence and graphic sex can only sustain a show for so long; fortunately, the characters are beautifully written and developed, and their relationships with each other (romantic or otherwise) are allowed to evolve and progress. By the end of the show I had come to care greatly about the central characters -- and what else could possibly be the mark of well-written characters effectively portrayed?
It's the stuff of TV legend by this point that Andy Whitfield, who gave a virtuoso performance as Spartacus in season one, was diagnosed with cancer shortly after filming wrapped, and that it took his life. The switch to his successor Liam McIntyre took a little bit to get used to, but McIntyre stepped into the unenviable position of taking over from a well-liked and tragically departed predecessor in a central role, and made it his own. No small feat, that.
In closing, if you're not a fan of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and casual profanity, this show won't be for you. If you're a "fan" of those things, watch the show, and you'll be surprised by how quickly they take a back seat to the story and the characters. Enjoy!
For the first two episodes, that's exactly what I got. Nothing special; a lot of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and colourful baroque mock-Shakespearean dialogue so over-the-top that I couldn't tell whether the acting was good or not. However, I had seen John Hannah (Batiatus) and Lucy Lawless (Lucretia) in other things before, so I stuck with it.
And damn, did the show hook me quickly after that. Yes, the dialogue is absurd and nobody ever spoke like that, but the actors deliver it with such unrestrained gusto and are clearly having such a blast making the show that you can't help but get swept up in it. Also, the dialogue has the added virtue of being clever and well-written: for example, there's a scene in the final season (don't worry, no spoilers) in which Marcus Crassus is having a discussion with his son Tiberius and a young Julius Caesar. Crassus is speaking to both of them, and they are answering him -- but Crassus is completely oblivious to the fact that Tiberius and Caesar are simultaneously having their own verbal sparring match against each other, while still advancing their three-way discussion. I rewound that scene a few times just to watch it play out.
Gory violence and graphic sex can only sustain a show for so long; fortunately, the characters are beautifully written and developed, and their relationships with each other (romantic or otherwise) are allowed to evolve and progress. By the end of the show I had come to care greatly about the central characters -- and what else could possibly be the mark of well-written characters effectively portrayed?
It's the stuff of TV legend by this point that Andy Whitfield, who gave a virtuoso performance as Spartacus in season one, was diagnosed with cancer shortly after filming wrapped, and that it took his life. The switch to his successor Liam McIntyre took a little bit to get used to, but McIntyre stepped into the unenviable position of taking over from a well-liked and tragically departed predecessor in a central role, and made it his own. No small feat, that.
In closing, if you're not a fan of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and casual profanity, this show won't be for you. If you're a "fan" of those things, watch the show, and you'll be surprised by how quickly they take a back seat to the story and the characters. Enjoy!
This is epic!
bladerunnerd-117 April 2010
Yes, the show starts out dull and mindless. Yes, the show offers full frontal nudity. Yes, it's bloody violent (if you measure it in buckets of blood). No, it is NOT a storyless show.
To get it out of the way: If you can't stand a naked breast; skip this one. I know how some people are very sensitive to naked skin, but I guess a chopped off head is OK? (Yes, I'm kicking your way you "Oh, that's Janet Jacksons covered up breast on live TV. I have to call the TV network"-people).
Each episode added a new layer as I see it. The characters grow in dept, and the conspiracies grow ever more entangling. I always wanted to see more after the second episode. The show exploded! For a show like this to even work the producers had to make a choice between kiddy-TV and adult TV. They chose the latter and hit the damn spot. Spartacus Blood and sand is one of the few shows that is just for us "big kids". I don't care if people are naked or headless on TV, as long as it suits the show. In this case it had not worked without it. Praise the gods that someone had the guts to think past the double morals of todays television and just press on! Rome was no flower-covered heaven on earth.
The acting can seem stale at first, but each actor grows in their role as the show progresses. A few of them impressed me, as I had deemed them to be c-graded actors a long time ago (Xena, anyone?). Some of the stars of this show seem to have found a show that suited them as much as they suited the roles they had to fill.
To avoid spoilers I will not say much about the story. What I can say is: The story evolves at the same rate as the actors/characters. Nearing the end you will beg for more! It's hard even to catch your breath after what I have just seen: The last episode offers the greatest form of chatarsis I have ever witnessed/felt in a TV show.
I will root for Spartacus in season 2 (and 3, and 4).
Sorry about the spelling errors and such.
To get it out of the way: If you can't stand a naked breast; skip this one. I know how some people are very sensitive to naked skin, but I guess a chopped off head is OK? (Yes, I'm kicking your way you "Oh, that's Janet Jacksons covered up breast on live TV. I have to call the TV network"-people).
Each episode added a new layer as I see it. The characters grow in dept, and the conspiracies grow ever more entangling. I always wanted to see more after the second episode. The show exploded! For a show like this to even work the producers had to make a choice between kiddy-TV and adult TV. They chose the latter and hit the damn spot. Spartacus Blood and sand is one of the few shows that is just for us "big kids". I don't care if people are naked or headless on TV, as long as it suits the show. In this case it had not worked without it. Praise the gods that someone had the guts to think past the double morals of todays television and just press on! Rome was no flower-covered heaven on earth.
The acting can seem stale at first, but each actor grows in their role as the show progresses. A few of them impressed me, as I had deemed them to be c-graded actors a long time ago (Xena, anyone?). Some of the stars of this show seem to have found a show that suited them as much as they suited the roles they had to fill.
To avoid spoilers I will not say much about the story. What I can say is: The story evolves at the same rate as the actors/characters. Nearing the end you will beg for more! It's hard even to catch your breath after what I have just seen: The last episode offers the greatest form of chatarsis I have ever witnessed/felt in a TV show.
I will root for Spartacus in season 2 (and 3, and 4).
Sorry about the spelling errors and such.
Keeps getting better and better
andrei_doggfather16 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
A lot of people compare "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" to "Rome", however the 2 have nothing in common. "Spartacus" was never designed to even remotely resemble "Rome". While "Rome" is a drama about politics and conspiracies, "Spartacus" is one man's journey. The series is inspired by the story of the gladiator Spartacus, who led the gladiators rebellion and who died in their last stand in southern Italy. Although there are numerous facts about his deeds there is nothing about the man himself. Even the notion that he was from Thrace isn't a fact. The 2 inspiration points for the series are clearly "Gladiator", for the concept, a man fighting for something and using the crowd of the arena to achieve his goal, and "300" for the special effects. Although in the first 2 episodes it was more about fights and sex scenes, things changed in from the third becoming more focused on the character and toning down the violence and nudity. The show feels different from anything at the moment, and if it keeps improving it could easily become one of the best shows around.
Some good some not so ...
bjones15 March 2010
I felt skeptical about the upcoming series when I first saw the trailers but thought; maybe it will be better ... the voice-overs did promise greater things. However, from the first episode I felt real disappointment. Rather than being more realistic it's more Hollywood. Yes, it does offer graphic violence - more on that later - and full frontal nudity but it falls short in a number of other areas. But first let me digress to some of the other points: By far the best performance I've enjoyed in this offering is that of John Hannah as Batiatus. His consummate skill as an actor leaves me feeling he deserves more success. His significant other is Lucy Lawless as Lucretia. She is well cast and certainly entertains and keeps up with Hannah. She's beautiful and shows it and comes through feeling like there's a nice bit of underlying intelligence I'd like to know better. One of the most fun characters is Viva Bianca as Ilithyia. She plays the part with a kind of delicious wickedness that's absent malice. She is also quite something special to look at, especially disrobed; which brings us to the male flesh offerings. Andy Whitfield as the title character Spartacus does a credible job but I can't overcome the idea he's in the part because someone in Hollywood thought he'd just look good. His antagonist in much of the episodes I saw is Manu Bennett as the gladiator Crixus and Peter Mensah as Doctore; a sort of gladiator teacher/overseer. Whitfield and Bennett snarl at each other appropriately and put up with full body depilation as their major sacrifice for their art.
The costumes, makeup, sets, and other production are rendered with quality if not historic accuracy. Without researching the issue, I find it hard to swallow the prevalence of depilation. It just doesn't ring true to what I recall from studying ancient history. The ancients were rather proud of their body hair as proof of their maturity and not even females shaved anywhere; none of that is evident here. But I suppose it's a minor point but I just felt that it flew in the face of the claims that they were striving for more historic accuracy. That gets us to the gritty parts, the violence, nudity and sex. The violence depicted here is over-the-top Hollywood all the way. The copious amounts of arterial blood that appear at the slightest wounds just smacks of sensationalist violence rather than accuracy. That - the violence - is a subject I know all too much about. Even severing an artery doesn't produce that much blood that fast. The sort of violence in the real world also produces a good deal more gore; not to mention that none of the film makers can ever hope to duplicate the accompanying odors. Worse, to me, by far is the fact that the bloodiest parts seem to be uniformly rendered in slow motion; thereby seeming to emphasize the bloodiest violence as the most important part of the offering. This aspect disappointed me the most.
The nudity and sex are more realistic than likely anything that has been presented by the modern media thus far, but it still falls far short of the reality of those times. Nudity then was a lot more prevalent, a lot more common and a lot more matter-of-fact.
I found it curious that the violence is far more emphasized that any other part of the equation; even the nudity and sex. I had the certain thought that if the sex were given an emphasis equal to that of the violence then we'd be treated to full screen sized vaginas opening in slow motion. It all left me feeling that the sad fact is that violence - even the most brutal types of depictions - are still far more socially acceptable than the relatively calm and peaceful pursuits involving nudity and sex. That still feels like an indictment against modern society. At least the ancients were more-or-less uniformly and honestly depraved. If I watch the remainder of the series it will more than likely be to enjoy the non-violent performances of Hannah, Lawless and Bianca. They are the best of it.
The costumes, makeup, sets, and other production are rendered with quality if not historic accuracy. Without researching the issue, I find it hard to swallow the prevalence of depilation. It just doesn't ring true to what I recall from studying ancient history. The ancients were rather proud of their body hair as proof of their maturity and not even females shaved anywhere; none of that is evident here. But I suppose it's a minor point but I just felt that it flew in the face of the claims that they were striving for more historic accuracy. That gets us to the gritty parts, the violence, nudity and sex. The violence depicted here is over-the-top Hollywood all the way. The copious amounts of arterial blood that appear at the slightest wounds just smacks of sensationalist violence rather than accuracy. That - the violence - is a subject I know all too much about. Even severing an artery doesn't produce that much blood that fast. The sort of violence in the real world also produces a good deal more gore; not to mention that none of the film makers can ever hope to duplicate the accompanying odors. Worse, to me, by far is the fact that the bloodiest parts seem to be uniformly rendered in slow motion; thereby seeming to emphasize the bloodiest violence as the most important part of the offering. This aspect disappointed me the most.
The nudity and sex are more realistic than likely anything that has been presented by the modern media thus far, but it still falls far short of the reality of those times. Nudity then was a lot more prevalent, a lot more common and a lot more matter-of-fact.
I found it curious that the violence is far more emphasized that any other part of the equation; even the nudity and sex. I had the certain thought that if the sex were given an emphasis equal to that of the violence then we'd be treated to full screen sized vaginas opening in slow motion. It all left me feeling that the sad fact is that violence - even the most brutal types of depictions - are still far more socially acceptable than the relatively calm and peaceful pursuits involving nudity and sex. That still feels like an indictment against modern society. At least the ancients were more-or-less uniformly and honestly depraved. If I watch the remainder of the series it will more than likely be to enjoy the non-violent performances of Hannah, Lawless and Bianca. They are the best of it.
After all these years, this show just rocks on!
TerribleKatherine21 February 2022
I watched the whole Spartacus series back when it first came up and now I'm revisiting it. Still, it does stand it's ground. I had no recollection of Jai Courteney being in the series and I don't like him as an actor but as Varro he is just great. All the acting is great, even when it's over the top, it all just fits together so nicely. Yeah, the GCI is a bit funny now and then but after just a few episodes, I really started to enjoy it. This show is sad, exciting and just pure fun to watch. To Andy: you made such an impression on younger me and you still do. You are a legend.
Starts off weak and slow but grows fast and furious.
haiducr10 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I stayed away from this show initially, after viewing Episode 1. It was weak, over the top and overall bad. Episodes 2-3 were not much better and I thought this show was as good as canceled.
However starting around Episode 4-5 the show gained immense momentum. It became a much more accurate (well not as accurate as HBO's Rome) portrayal of a society extremely different from our own, where what we now considered morals were non-existent. Remember this happens before Christianity and widespread Judaism, so morality is of a different nature.
The show is violent, bloody, almost pornographic and extremely incorrect from a 21st century political point of view, but at the same time it feels fresh, bold and unchained by the conventions most shows shove down our throats. It's as much a step forward in TV shows and BG was a few years ago. The characters are maybe not as humanized as we are used to, but considering the period they have the level of depth required (with a few exceptions - Crixus and Doctore which I find a bit bland).
Combat is bloody, over the top and uncensored, this is not a show you should let your 10 year old watch. Sex is treated as just another commodity, human flesh is bought and sold by the pound.
The writing starts off weak but as you gain accustomed to the style (which matches the writings of the period to a degree) it begins to grow on you. The different speech patterns and expressions help with immersion, help transport you to the society that, along with Greece, gave birth to our modern Western civilization.
My only complaint, besides the slow start, is actually about the main character. He seems too flat, even when rebellious. I feel it's not the writing but the actor.
However starting around Episode 4-5 the show gained immense momentum. It became a much more accurate (well not as accurate as HBO's Rome) portrayal of a society extremely different from our own, where what we now considered morals were non-existent. Remember this happens before Christianity and widespread Judaism, so morality is of a different nature.
The show is violent, bloody, almost pornographic and extremely incorrect from a 21st century political point of view, but at the same time it feels fresh, bold and unchained by the conventions most shows shove down our throats. It's as much a step forward in TV shows and BG was a few years ago. The characters are maybe not as humanized as we are used to, but considering the period they have the level of depth required (with a few exceptions - Crixus and Doctore which I find a bit bland).
Combat is bloody, over the top and uncensored, this is not a show you should let your 10 year old watch. Sex is treated as just another commodity, human flesh is bought and sold by the pound.
The writing starts off weak but as you gain accustomed to the style (which matches the writings of the period to a degree) it begins to grow on you. The different speech patterns and expressions help with immersion, help transport you to the society that, along with Greece, gave birth to our modern Western civilization.
My only complaint, besides the slow start, is actually about the main character. He seems too flat, even when rebellious. I feel it's not the writing but the actor.
Summed up in one word....terrible
Placiddragon13 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
May contain some general spoilers, but i'll try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible.
I've now watched 7 episodes of Spartacus, and withheld from rating it because fans said "wait, it'll get better". Well, it hasn't.
The acting is strictly average, with some highs, and a lot of lows. Hannah and Lawless do passable jobs, they are veteran actors after all. A few others also hold their own (Varro, Doctore), but the rest is just plain abysmal. The acting of the main actor makes me want to cry at times, i really find it that bad.
The series is filmed with a minimal set, using mostly CGI (i swear 90 percent of the scenes could have been shot in someones backyard). That is not initially a problem, but when the CGI is bad, then it becomes a problem. And when its bad not because their graphical artists suck, but because the director wants it to look bad, it becomes ridiculous.
The fighting scenes is very similar to the movie 300, with slowdown shots, flying limbs, buckets of CGI blood, etc (there were even some utterly ridiculous "inside the helmet" shots in some fight scenes that had me giggling in disbelief.
The show also has a monster budget apparently (4.5 mill per episode or thereabouts.. god knows where they put that money, it certainly wasn't in good actors, sets, passable CGI, etc). I've seen 10 year old video games with better and more believable graphics than this :) The progression of the show is basically fight - sex - fight - some stupid plot - fight. They throw boobs at you like you've never seen, not because it fits the setting, but because they can. Im male, and love boobs as much as the next guy, but that was interesting for all of 5 minutes. Its very much like the wet dream of a teenager who just hit puberty, which may say something about who they aim for as their target audience.
Its difficult to describe it properly, words simply escape me when i try to express how bad it is. As a series, the only thing it can be compared to is Rome, and while Rome had lots of nudity and fighting, it was always when it was appropriate to the setting. Spartacus does it "just because", and tons of it. If one adds movies to the comparison, the natural thing to compare it to would be 300 and Gladiator.
It is very similar to 300 in fight progression (but 300 had far superior actors), and it would be a gigantic insult to Gladiator to try to measure Spartacus up against it.
So in short, to sum it up, this literally... sucks
I've now watched 7 episodes of Spartacus, and withheld from rating it because fans said "wait, it'll get better". Well, it hasn't.
The acting is strictly average, with some highs, and a lot of lows. Hannah and Lawless do passable jobs, they are veteran actors after all. A few others also hold their own (Varro, Doctore), but the rest is just plain abysmal. The acting of the main actor makes me want to cry at times, i really find it that bad.
The series is filmed with a minimal set, using mostly CGI (i swear 90 percent of the scenes could have been shot in someones backyard). That is not initially a problem, but when the CGI is bad, then it becomes a problem. And when its bad not because their graphical artists suck, but because the director wants it to look bad, it becomes ridiculous.
The fighting scenes is very similar to the movie 300, with slowdown shots, flying limbs, buckets of CGI blood, etc (there were even some utterly ridiculous "inside the helmet" shots in some fight scenes that had me giggling in disbelief.
The show also has a monster budget apparently (4.5 mill per episode or thereabouts.. god knows where they put that money, it certainly wasn't in good actors, sets, passable CGI, etc). I've seen 10 year old video games with better and more believable graphics than this :) The progression of the show is basically fight - sex - fight - some stupid plot - fight. They throw boobs at you like you've never seen, not because it fits the setting, but because they can. Im male, and love boobs as much as the next guy, but that was interesting for all of 5 minutes. Its very much like the wet dream of a teenager who just hit puberty, which may say something about who they aim for as their target audience.
Its difficult to describe it properly, words simply escape me when i try to express how bad it is. As a series, the only thing it can be compared to is Rome, and while Rome had lots of nudity and fighting, it was always when it was appropriate to the setting. Spartacus does it "just because", and tons of it. If one adds movies to the comparison, the natural thing to compare it to would be 300 and Gladiator.
It is very similar to 300 in fight progression (but 300 had far superior actors), and it would be a gigantic insult to Gladiator to try to measure Spartacus up against it.
So in short, to sum it up, this literally... sucks
Changed my life
mihuclaudialina9 August 2018
Spartacus changed my life in better. Even after the dead of the first actor who played Spartacus, i continued watching and i loved it. It's about force, power, humble, the sense of life, Love and much more. If you need strength or if you are depressed, you must watch Spartacus.
Have patience and watch till end. You won't regret it!
Legendary TV show
Leofwine_draca28 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Review of Blood and Sand: After ROME, I've always been on the look out for adult-oriented historical TV series that bring ancient eras to life in all their vivid, bloody glory. SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND came out a couple of years ago, and only now have I caved in to see what all the fuss is about; I'm glad I did, because this gladiator drama is every bit the equal of ROME.
I'll admit that the first couple of episodes (the first series runs for 13) left me distinctly ambivalent. The 300-style slow-mo fight scenes and lashings of CGI gore take some getting used to. However, then I started getting to know - and like - the individuals and each episode just seemed to get better and better. On the surface, the show is all about gladiator combat - and there are tons of grisly fight scenes - but at its heart it's another variation on UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, depicting the lives of the masters and their slaves and showing how the two worlds interact.
This is a show brimming with talent. The late, lamented Andy Whitfield is all heart in the titular role, but it's the supporting characters who really stand out. John Hannah is an actor I could never stand, but his hammy, larger-than-life turn as Batiatus is almost legendary. Lucy Lawless brushes aside memories of XENA with the cunning and manipulative Lucretia, and watching her snappy dialogue with Hannah is the stuff of pure joy. On the gladiator front, Peter Mensah and Manu Bennett are all heart as Doctore and Crixus respectively, and Nick Tarabay is a sly delight as the sneaking Ashur.
The series builds on itself as it goes along, increasing the stakes, throwing in some genuine twists and shocks you won't see coming, and eventually culminating in the best finale of any series I've ever seen; to say it's dramatically satisfying is a real understatement. As the credits on the final episode rolled, I realised I'd watched a show that had become the stuff of genius, that had engaged my emotions to the max, and that I'll be gobbling up any future sequels or prequels that come along.
Review of Gods of the Arena: GODS OF THE ARENA is the six-part prequel miniseries following on from BLOOD & SAND, necessitated by star Andy Whitfield's illness. At first I wondered whether the format would work with a different character in the leading role, but I needn't have worried: it turns out to be fantastic entertainment, just as good as the original show.
I particularly like the shift in focus so that Batiatus is now a 'good' character when shown in comparison to his even-more-dastardly colleagues. His character arc is engaging, as are the various cloak-and-dagger shenanigans that take place at his ludos. In particular, the characters of Crixus and Ashur bag decent, unexpected story lines, although I was less enamoured with Gannicus himself. Still top drawer entertainment throughout, excellent fight scenes combined with truly intriguing plotting.
Review of Vengeance: Fans who wondered whether SPARTACUS could continue in the wake of star Andy Whitfield's death needn't have worried: VENGEANCE proves to be a decent follow up to BLOOD & SAND, offering the same kind of plotting and intrigue that fans of the show love, albeit with a few changes to the format.
It's not quite as good as the first couple of seasons, and that's due to some minor flaws in the writing. The stuff involving the Roman characters is a bit repetitive, and it was a mistake to bring back a major female character whose storyline was already spent at the end of BLOOD & SAND. Similarly, I was disappointed in the way Ashur (my favourite gladiator) becomes a stock villain rather than the multi-layered personality of the previous shows. And, let's face it, none of the episodes could ever hope to equal the brilliance of BLOOD & SAND's season finale, KILL THEM ALL.
It's still great entertainment though. The fights - and there are plenty - look better than ever, more detailed and almost 3D in places. It's as if the cameras are offering twice as much detail and quality as previously. The sex and violence have been upped, and the blood looks much less CGI-like than in the original show. Episodes five and 10 of this show are particularly exciting, both offering rewarding climaxes to carefully-build sub-plotting.
Review of War of the Damned: Wow. Wow. Wow. WAR OF THE DAMNED ends the SPARTACUS series on a real high, proving from the outset to be an immediate improvement over the predecessor, VENGEANCE. The plots feel deeper and more complex, the characters are more nuanced and intriguing, the story arc has a wider and more dramatic feel to it. It's clear that things are moving towards the climax, so there's little of that feeling of 'treading water' that marred the previous series, particularly with the Roman characters.
One of the best things about this season is the way the characters have changed and matured, given all that they've gone through. The Romans are far more interesting, too, and much better than the stock villain Glabor. Crassus is particularly good, because there's a great actor playing him, and you also feel that he's not such a bad guy really. The guy playing Caesar is a delight, too, and I hope the mooted spin-off series emerges with him in the starring role.
Elsewhere, production values seem better and more impressive; there are larger scale fights, packed with effects that don't disappoint. The action is more plentiful and brutal than ever, with some truly eye-popping visuals to be enjoyed. The first seven episodes are tremendously good in their own right, but then the last three episodes go somewhere else, reaching a level of profundity you wouldn't expect to see in a pulpy TV show like this. The climax is nothing less than riveting.
I'll admit that the first couple of episodes (the first series runs for 13) left me distinctly ambivalent. The 300-style slow-mo fight scenes and lashings of CGI gore take some getting used to. However, then I started getting to know - and like - the individuals and each episode just seemed to get better and better. On the surface, the show is all about gladiator combat - and there are tons of grisly fight scenes - but at its heart it's another variation on UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, depicting the lives of the masters and their slaves and showing how the two worlds interact.
This is a show brimming with talent. The late, lamented Andy Whitfield is all heart in the titular role, but it's the supporting characters who really stand out. John Hannah is an actor I could never stand, but his hammy, larger-than-life turn as Batiatus is almost legendary. Lucy Lawless brushes aside memories of XENA with the cunning and manipulative Lucretia, and watching her snappy dialogue with Hannah is the stuff of pure joy. On the gladiator front, Peter Mensah and Manu Bennett are all heart as Doctore and Crixus respectively, and Nick Tarabay is a sly delight as the sneaking Ashur.
The series builds on itself as it goes along, increasing the stakes, throwing in some genuine twists and shocks you won't see coming, and eventually culminating in the best finale of any series I've ever seen; to say it's dramatically satisfying is a real understatement. As the credits on the final episode rolled, I realised I'd watched a show that had become the stuff of genius, that had engaged my emotions to the max, and that I'll be gobbling up any future sequels or prequels that come along.
Review of Gods of the Arena: GODS OF THE ARENA is the six-part prequel miniseries following on from BLOOD & SAND, necessitated by star Andy Whitfield's illness. At first I wondered whether the format would work with a different character in the leading role, but I needn't have worried: it turns out to be fantastic entertainment, just as good as the original show.
I particularly like the shift in focus so that Batiatus is now a 'good' character when shown in comparison to his even-more-dastardly colleagues. His character arc is engaging, as are the various cloak-and-dagger shenanigans that take place at his ludos. In particular, the characters of Crixus and Ashur bag decent, unexpected story lines, although I was less enamoured with Gannicus himself. Still top drawer entertainment throughout, excellent fight scenes combined with truly intriguing plotting.
Review of Vengeance: Fans who wondered whether SPARTACUS could continue in the wake of star Andy Whitfield's death needn't have worried: VENGEANCE proves to be a decent follow up to BLOOD & SAND, offering the same kind of plotting and intrigue that fans of the show love, albeit with a few changes to the format.
It's not quite as good as the first couple of seasons, and that's due to some minor flaws in the writing. The stuff involving the Roman characters is a bit repetitive, and it was a mistake to bring back a major female character whose storyline was already spent at the end of BLOOD & SAND. Similarly, I was disappointed in the way Ashur (my favourite gladiator) becomes a stock villain rather than the multi-layered personality of the previous shows. And, let's face it, none of the episodes could ever hope to equal the brilliance of BLOOD & SAND's season finale, KILL THEM ALL.
It's still great entertainment though. The fights - and there are plenty - look better than ever, more detailed and almost 3D in places. It's as if the cameras are offering twice as much detail and quality as previously. The sex and violence have been upped, and the blood looks much less CGI-like than in the original show. Episodes five and 10 of this show are particularly exciting, both offering rewarding climaxes to carefully-build sub-plotting.
Review of War of the Damned: Wow. Wow. Wow. WAR OF THE DAMNED ends the SPARTACUS series on a real high, proving from the outset to be an immediate improvement over the predecessor, VENGEANCE. The plots feel deeper and more complex, the characters are more nuanced and intriguing, the story arc has a wider and more dramatic feel to it. It's clear that things are moving towards the climax, so there's little of that feeling of 'treading water' that marred the previous series, particularly with the Roman characters.
One of the best things about this season is the way the characters have changed and matured, given all that they've gone through. The Romans are far more interesting, too, and much better than the stock villain Glabor. Crassus is particularly good, because there's a great actor playing him, and you also feel that he's not such a bad guy really. The guy playing Caesar is a delight, too, and I hope the mooted spin-off series emerges with him in the starring role.
Elsewhere, production values seem better and more impressive; there are larger scale fights, packed with effects that don't disappoint. The action is more plentiful and brutal than ever, with some truly eye-popping visuals to be enjoyed. The first seven episodes are tremendously good in their own right, but then the last three episodes go somewhere else, reaching a level of profundity you wouldn't expect to see in a pulpy TV show like this. The climax is nothing less than riveting.
I miss Andy Whitefield
BoulosSoueileh11 January 2021
So bloody good !!
nikolobg13 February 2010
This is not a series for everyone and many people will find a lot in it offensive. They will have good cause. If you are under 16 you should not watch it. Why am i so excited by it then: For the ones that want to see fights, blood, brutality, sex, men looking like gods, blood, erotica, excitement, blood, swearing, allot of skulls being bashed, sweat, savagery, arena fights, honor, friendships intrigues, assassinations, and lets not forget some more blood, this is a show for you.
It is brutal and it is one of the best shows out there. It is not a soup opera and if you are one of those people that got excited by a show like CAPRICA skip this one.
This show makes your hart race. The first episode is the weakest, but by episode 4 which i just saw i am swearing by all the Roman Gods that this is what i was born to watch. It is raw bloody entertainment!
This show is so unique, it is in a category with THE WIRE, thought they have noting in common and their uniqueness lies in completely different places, they are bot light years away of what is being made.
For a low budget with computer graphics, after the first weaker episode, the show becomes so realistic, by episode 4 it has griped me in its razor sharp clutches and the downward spiral of darkness is leaving bloody marks on my soul!
If you like it you will love it, if you don't like it you will hate it.
It is brutal and it is one of the best shows out there. It is not a soup opera and if you are one of those people that got excited by a show like CAPRICA skip this one.
This show makes your hart race. The first episode is the weakest, but by episode 4 which i just saw i am swearing by all the Roman Gods that this is what i was born to watch. It is raw bloody entertainment!
This show is so unique, it is in a category with THE WIRE, thought they have noting in common and their uniqueness lies in completely different places, they are bot light years away of what is being made.
For a low budget with computer graphics, after the first weaker episode, the show becomes so realistic, by episode 4 it has griped me in its razor sharp clutches and the downward spiral of darkness is leaving bloody marks on my soul!
If you like it you will love it, if you don't like it you will hate it.
All four seasons are worth your time
Jamesmadz27 January 2023
Spartacus Blood and sand.
Spartacus Gods of the arena.
Spartacus Vengeance.
Spartacus War of the damned.
Spartacus, either played by Andy (may he rest in peace) or Liam, the rest of the truly outstanding cast, the writing, the music,...
The cgi in episode 1 takes some getting used to so whatever you do DON'T write the show off.
The fact that we got Gods of the arena due to Andy battling his non Hodgkin lymphoma, a battle he sadly lost, is truly bittersweet...
It is like nothing you have ever seen.
There is a lot of nudity.
There is a lot of sex.
There is a lot of violence.
There is a lot of blood.
It is gnarly. It is gore.
It's ... heartbreaking.
Spartacus Gods of the arena.
Spartacus Vengeance.
Spartacus War of the damned.
Spartacus, either played by Andy (may he rest in peace) or Liam, the rest of the truly outstanding cast, the writing, the music,...
The cgi in episode 1 takes some getting used to so whatever you do DON'T write the show off.
The fact that we got Gods of the arena due to Andy battling his non Hodgkin lymphoma, a battle he sadly lost, is truly bittersweet...
It is like nothing you have ever seen.
There is a lot of nudity.
There is a lot of sex.
There is a lot of violence.
There is a lot of blood.
It is gnarly. It is gore.
It's ... heartbreaking.
Bloody, sexy and very entertaining - but not for the easily offended
Andy-29615 February 2012
If you want a series about Roman history, one can watch HBO's Rome (a very fine TV show). If you want to see a trashy and outrageously entertaining TV show with nonstop gore and nudity (both male and female) as well as graphic sex, Spartacus (very loosely based on the history of Ancient Rome's slave gladiator turned rebel leader) should be the choice.
Supposedly, TV shows are by necessity tamer than movies, yet I haven't seen any movie as consistently graphic about sex and violence as Spartacus. Suffice to say that almost everybody in the large cast of mostly muscular men and gorgeous women, gets naked in the series at some point. Episode 9 in particular – subtly called "Whore" – is a highlight in that regard.
A bit slow to start (I struggled with episode 1, but get hooked after episode 2), this admittedly not for all tastes series, was filmed in New Zealand with a mostly Australian and Kiwi cast. Its striking visual style can be compared with 300 (the gladiator's trainer, the great Peter Mensah, had a small role in that movie). The show is finely led in the titular role by Andy Whitfield (unfortunately he died of cancer after the first season, and was replaced by another actor in the following season). Yet, even if most of the cast is great, the best performance to me is by John Hannah as the devious Batiatus, the owner of the Gladiator's school. Hannah, whose background has been mostly on British comedies, excels here. While he initially seems to lack the toughness one supposes a master of a gladiator's school should have, he is eventually seen as a charming yet also very cruel and cunning man. Also remarkable are the performances of Manu Bennett as the knucklehead (but eventually noble) gladiator Crixus, Viva Bianca as the gorgeous but scheming Ilythia, and Nick Tarabay as Batiatus slimy aide, Ashur.
Supposedly, TV shows are by necessity tamer than movies, yet I haven't seen any movie as consistently graphic about sex and violence as Spartacus. Suffice to say that almost everybody in the large cast of mostly muscular men and gorgeous women, gets naked in the series at some point. Episode 9 in particular – subtly called "Whore" – is a highlight in that regard.
A bit slow to start (I struggled with episode 1, but get hooked after episode 2), this admittedly not for all tastes series, was filmed in New Zealand with a mostly Australian and Kiwi cast. Its striking visual style can be compared with 300 (the gladiator's trainer, the great Peter Mensah, had a small role in that movie). The show is finely led in the titular role by Andy Whitfield (unfortunately he died of cancer after the first season, and was replaced by another actor in the following season). Yet, even if most of the cast is great, the best performance to me is by John Hannah as the devious Batiatus, the owner of the Gladiator's school. Hannah, whose background has been mostly on British comedies, excels here. While he initially seems to lack the toughness one supposes a master of a gladiator's school should have, he is eventually seen as a charming yet also very cruel and cunning man. Also remarkable are the performances of Manu Bennett as the knucklehead (but eventually noble) gladiator Crixus, Viva Bianca as the gorgeous but scheming Ilythia, and Nick Tarabay as Batiatus slimy aide, Ashur.
How to se.
blohmster30 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Se season 2 first.
After the sad death of Andy RIP, the story starts with season 2. I am seeing it now for the fifth time. I will se it one time every year, for the rest of my life. That's how good it is. Enjoy it. Never a doll moment and beautiful made.
Can't wait for season 2
valerafr25 April 2010
I just finished watching the first season, and I must say that if this show gets better and better with each episode (and it does), then the last episode is simply outstanding! I don't remember being so thrilled and excited at the end of any season of any show. The first episode is a bit weak, but after that there is simply no decline for this show. At first it might seem that there is too much blood, sex and violence, but later it becomes a crucial factor to the atmosphere of the story. More than once I was surprised by the complicated twists to the seemingly simple storyline, and found myself guessing the outcome. To sum it all up: This show has a unique atmosphere, an amazing script, great sound track, beautifully choreographed fights, and even the acting is good! My hopes are that the next season will be at least just as good as the first one.
Spartacus is the ultimate series of all
stphan-ray20 March 2020
A frank depiction of the Roman underclass
nkanalley15 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I personally loathed the Stanley Kubrick version of this tale. . .although he was a great director, for sure, it was still the early 60s, and studios hadn't gotten over the Quo Vadis, Ben Hur slog that mandated stories set in the Ancient World had to be viewed through that 50s, Judeo-Christian mindset, even if the story itself had nothing to do with Jesus or the early Christians (just watch the opening of Kubrick's movie to see what I mean). Here, the producers at Starz have created what many thought at first must be a rip-off of 300, complete with poor script, green screen effects, and pointless sex. And that's what I thought at first as well. . But keep watching! Believe me when I say , it gets so much better. Around episode 4 or so, the writing takes a gigantic leap in terms of quality, the acting starts to crystallize as the performers grow comfortable in their roles, and you start to forget that there isn't actually an ampitheatre there (surely saving the show millions in production costs, unlike the doomed HBO series Rome). The story, for the most part, is set in a Ludus (gladiator training school) and the Domus (townhouse) attached to it, in the Roman city of Capua in southern Italy in about 80 BCE. The townhouse and training school are owned by Quintus Batiatus (John Hannah), a scheming social climber, aided and abetted by his equally ambitious wife, Lucretia (Lucy Lawless). Into their world comes Claudius Glaber, a Legatus (commander) in the Army of the Republic. Fearful of losing the opportunity to defeat Mithridates, King of Pontus, menacing the Roman colonies in Asia, Glaber breaks his promise to destroy the barbarian tribes threatening the homes of his Thracian soldiers, who rebel when he orders them to march to Asia Minor. Those rebels not killed are taken in chains back to Italy, to be executed in the arena for treason, it just so happens, in Capua, home of Senator Albinius, father of Glaber's wife, Ilythia. All are killed quite quickly in gladiatorial combat, all, that is, except for the very man who led the rebellion in the first place. Watching the executions is Batiatus, keen on winning favor with the Roman elite by providing ever more sophisticated blood sports for popular festivals. As the rebel kills every single gladiator sent to do him in, Batiatus is duly impressed, and offers to buy him from Glaber. As a pretense, he insists that the rebel won't last two weeks among his school of professional gladiators. The man, whose name no one has cared to ask, is thus inducted into the Ludus, and given the name Spartacus, "after that Thracian king of old".
The rest of the series lets the viewer into a front row seat to the hellish world of the unluckiest of the unlucky in Ancient Rome. The Senators, schemers, Kings and Queens, Emperors and Courtesans are all pushed into the background as we see the stories of the 90+ percent of people in the Roman world; the slaves, the poorest of the poor, and the people just above them on the social ladder, struggling to climb up while equally terrified of falling into the abyss. This is the story of human beings who have lost even the designation of "human being", to become, in effect, living tools, sacrificial entertainment for the wealthiest of the wealthy, or sex toys for bored housewives. It is an unforgiving, despicable world, but not without it's points of light and levity. These people love their children very much, treasure their husbands and wives, and fight for what they think is right. They also have no qualms about watching a man be brutally slaughtered for their child's entertainment. This show is heavy on the blood and sex, sure. But that doesn't mean it isn't also a deep character study of people making a life in one of the worst situations imaginable. It's also one of the most frank depictions of life for the slaves and the downtrodden in the ancient world that I've ever seen.
The rest of the series lets the viewer into a front row seat to the hellish world of the unluckiest of the unlucky in Ancient Rome. The Senators, schemers, Kings and Queens, Emperors and Courtesans are all pushed into the background as we see the stories of the 90+ percent of people in the Roman world; the slaves, the poorest of the poor, and the people just above them on the social ladder, struggling to climb up while equally terrified of falling into the abyss. This is the story of human beings who have lost even the designation of "human being", to become, in effect, living tools, sacrificial entertainment for the wealthiest of the wealthy, or sex toys for bored housewives. It is an unforgiving, despicable world, but not without it's points of light and levity. These people love their children very much, treasure their husbands and wives, and fight for what they think is right. They also have no qualms about watching a man be brutally slaughtered for their child's entertainment. This show is heavy on the blood and sex, sure. But that doesn't mean it isn't also a deep character study of people making a life in one of the worst situations imaginable. It's also one of the most frank depictions of life for the slaves and the downtrodden in the ancient world that I've ever seen.
AWFUL! Simply AWFUL!!! Stick with 1960 version with Kirk Douglas & Laurence Olivier
phpete90017 January 2011
I went into this with a skeptical attitude and wanted it to be great! I love Epics and being a fan of the Epics of the 1950's and 1960's, and the original SPARTACUS with Kirk Douglas in particular, I was very interested in what would be done with this version. I have no problem with differences in the interpretation of the story since the true history of the actual Spartacus is very sketchy. Historians know very little about many of the details in his life and the military campaigns, so I'm open to changes in one dramatic version over another.
The problem I have is mainly with the production values of this version. Let's start with the script. I realize that all films cannot take the course of Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE Christ and present a subtitled film with the actors speaking the original language of the historical period. Kevin Costner brilliantly used this technique as well with the Native Americans in DANCES WITH WOLVES. However, a film maker doesn't have to take it to that extreme. In the historical epics of the past, scripts were often careful to not include dialog which sounded too contemporary in order to give it the illusion of a past time. This helps the audience's acceptance of the story having taken place in times past. Ben-Hur (1959) is a good example of this. Spartacus (1960) has some dialog problems but is also, for the most part, a good example of this.
That said, this version of SPARTACUS seems to go out of it's way to sound every bit like Martin Scorcese's GOODFELLAS, complete with use of the F-bomb every couple minutes along with every other contemporary expletive one might imagine, including the "C" word, the "B" word, the "S" word, etc. Simply put...It sounds absurd. Can we at least try to give this some semblance of ancient history. With the expletives and the grunting and groaning of the muscle bound performers during the battle scenes, it sounds and looks like the warriors originated with the WWE.
Next up is the violence. I stop short of referring to the violence as exploitive, which it is, but it is SO extreme that it is silly. The use of slow motion, normal motion, slow motion, normal motion mixed with squirting blood all over the camera, all over the other actors, squirting out fast, squirting out slow from this angle and that angle is once again, absurd. It is SO overdone that one is desensitized after watching 45 minutes of the first episode. At one point a character gets punched in the face and even THAT is in slow motion. It's laughable! This viewer got the impression that this was being filmed by students in a high school film class who couldn't get enough slow motion and gory blood spilling. Most of the blood spilling is CGI anyway and looks fake.
That brings up my next criticism. I highly doubt that there is one scene in this travesty that was filmed on location. EVERYTHING, including the most simple scene appears to use the CGI technique and it makes the entire production look like one massive computer game.
Next we have the overuse of sex scenes which are equally as silly as the violence as they are all choreographed to look like the covers of cheap romance novels with men who look like they're from Chippendales and women who look like they stepped out of the Victoria's Secret catalog. No one looks natural. It's buffed bodies and big boobs. Because of the sexually explicit nature of some of the scenes, I can't go into detail here. I guess the tamest way to put it is that some decadent scenes appear as if they were filmed in an S&M club.
This is truly an exploitive piece of garbage that falls just short of being pornography....bad acting and all, but I'm sure it will find an audience. After all, Shakespeare said it best, this kind of exploitation is there to "Split the ears of the groundlings who, for the most part, are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise."
The problem I have is mainly with the production values of this version. Let's start with the script. I realize that all films cannot take the course of Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE Christ and present a subtitled film with the actors speaking the original language of the historical period. Kevin Costner brilliantly used this technique as well with the Native Americans in DANCES WITH WOLVES. However, a film maker doesn't have to take it to that extreme. In the historical epics of the past, scripts were often careful to not include dialog which sounded too contemporary in order to give it the illusion of a past time. This helps the audience's acceptance of the story having taken place in times past. Ben-Hur (1959) is a good example of this. Spartacus (1960) has some dialog problems but is also, for the most part, a good example of this.
That said, this version of SPARTACUS seems to go out of it's way to sound every bit like Martin Scorcese's GOODFELLAS, complete with use of the F-bomb every couple minutes along with every other contemporary expletive one might imagine, including the "C" word, the "B" word, the "S" word, etc. Simply put...It sounds absurd. Can we at least try to give this some semblance of ancient history. With the expletives and the grunting and groaning of the muscle bound performers during the battle scenes, it sounds and looks like the warriors originated with the WWE.
Next up is the violence. I stop short of referring to the violence as exploitive, which it is, but it is SO extreme that it is silly. The use of slow motion, normal motion, slow motion, normal motion mixed with squirting blood all over the camera, all over the other actors, squirting out fast, squirting out slow from this angle and that angle is once again, absurd. It is SO overdone that one is desensitized after watching 45 minutes of the first episode. At one point a character gets punched in the face and even THAT is in slow motion. It's laughable! This viewer got the impression that this was being filmed by students in a high school film class who couldn't get enough slow motion and gory blood spilling. Most of the blood spilling is CGI anyway and looks fake.
That brings up my next criticism. I highly doubt that there is one scene in this travesty that was filmed on location. EVERYTHING, including the most simple scene appears to use the CGI technique and it makes the entire production look like one massive computer game.
Next we have the overuse of sex scenes which are equally as silly as the violence as they are all choreographed to look like the covers of cheap romance novels with men who look like they're from Chippendales and women who look like they stepped out of the Victoria's Secret catalog. No one looks natural. It's buffed bodies and big boobs. Because of the sexually explicit nature of some of the scenes, I can't go into detail here. I guess the tamest way to put it is that some decadent scenes appear as if they were filmed in an S&M club.
This is truly an exploitive piece of garbage that falls just short of being pornography....bad acting and all, but I'm sure it will find an audience. After all, Shakespeare said it best, this kind of exploitation is there to "Split the ears of the groundlings who, for the most part, are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise."
See also
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