mOVIemAN56
Spartacus was the kind of mini-series that I just knew would be good from the start. Spanning a two day special on USA I watched the first part and just couldn't wait for the second half. Spartacus is played by Goran Visnjic from the TV series ER and shows he can be a tough guy too.The film starts with Spartacus being bought by a wealthy Roman to be a gladiator. Spartacus excels quickly and learns to be an excellent fighter but soon sees the horrible life he faces along with the other gladiators. After his friend is killed by Roman guards for refusing to kill him, Spartacus rebels against the cruel family that owns him and quickly crushes them. Now Spartacus is on a quest, along with other gladiator rebels, to overthrow the Roman Empire and abolish the gladiator games. Along the way, Spartacus must deal with insubordination of his soldiers, betrayal, and love. The battles are well done but just don't show the overwhelming victories Spartacus actually achieved in his quest. Goran Visnjic is exceptionally strong as Spartacus and really has some great sword work in battle. This is a superb mini-series with good drama, good action, and fine acting.Spartacus. Starring: Goran Visnjic, Alan Bates, Angus Macfadyen, and Rhona Mitra.4 out of 5 Stars.
bandalho-1
It's as simple as this: Why try to do a remake of an incomparable masterpiece as Kubrick's Spartacus, even if you're gonna add new twists to the story? And if you do try, where are you gonna find actors like Olivier, Ustinov, Douglas and Laughton again? This new movie just doesn't work. That Goran guy who plays Spartacus is a horrid actor; the guy who played Crassus is not as bad as Goran, but it's plain sad to see him reprise the role made famous by King Olivier. Rhona Mitra is sexy and gorgeous, which is fine for me, but it's pathetic to imagine that sex goddess as a poor roman slave.The only good (and sad) thing in this film is the presence of the wonderful Alan Bates. In his last movie role, Bates kept his inner glow, his charm and those beautiful blue eyes.That's it. Go watch Kubrick's version and forget about this dumb TV version.
ehansen-2
I happened onto this miniseries on the History Channel and became enthralled immediately. I stayed up late into the night to watch it because I could not turn it off. It is very well acted. Goran Visnjic was perfectly cast as Spartacus, the Roman Slave turned Gladiator who leads a slave revolt that shakes the foundation of the Roman empire. His chemistry with Rhona Mitra was palpable. The love affair between the two was expanded in this adaption and really added to the poignancy of the story. The cinematography and the costumes were also good and the fight scenes were very believable. I think that I actually enjoyed this version better that the Kubrick classic.
glentom1
If you want to see the real movie, watch the Kirk Douglas movie. What's the purpose of this remake? part 1 is ok, part 2 is terrible. I gave it a 5 out of 10 only because there were some interesting scenes, but this 4 hours of mostly commercials will leave you in wonder as to how they somehow hoodwinked you into watching.Its a good movie to watch while balancing your checkbook, or getting done other projects. The actors seemed to be thinking the whole time "geez, I am in a made for tv mini-series."Rhona Mitra is nice to watch, other than that, don't waste your time.
AD
