Spartacus
2004
This television production stars Goran Visnjic (ER) as the titular gladiator in this television adaptation of the same 1951 Howard Fast novel that spawned Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film classic. While living out his life as a slave the deserts of Egypt, Spartacus is bought by a trainer of gladiators and forced to fight for the .. Read more
| Starring | Goran Visnjic, Alan Bates, Angus Macfadyen, Rhona Mitra |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Dornhelm |
| Genres | Drama |
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
View all -
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
Enjoyable
Having read the reviews on Spartacus before deciding to see it for myself I did not expect much from this movie!
I was pleasantly surprised having watched it! The film itself was very watchable and at times you often found yourself relating to the characters and sympathinsing with what they went through. Obviously this film was never going to live up to the original or surpass the likes of 'Gladiator'. However, it is worth a watch despite Grant from Eastenders (Ross Kemp) putting in a very poor display of acting.
Recommended!!! -
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Excellent Retelling
This is NOT a retelling of the history of the Slave Revolt led by Spartacus in the 1st Century BCE; what it is a rewriting of the Kirk Douglas 1960 movie of Spartacus. In that rewriting this version shares many of the fictional historical constructs necessary to dramatise the story, since so very little is actually known, however it also shares many of the same scenes and dramatic constructs as well indeed a very great many of the scenes in this movie are taken directly from the 1960 movie.
Having said all that this version does many parts of the story much better than the 1960 movie and the scenes of the political in-fighting in the Roman Senate are particularly well done as are the battle scenes. We still have the total fiction of the Romans not having a fleet (tell the Carthaginians that one) and a great Pirate fleet being prepared to carry away Spartacus and all his men but its good drama I guess. Other excellent points are the way that with each victory elements of Roman armour and equipment appear in the Slave Army’s ranks.
There are a couple of really stupid and intensely infuriating bits such as where Crixus’s band all gain blue woad face paint as though they were extras from ‘Braveheart’ (where it is equally historically inaccurate by the way) and the Roman senior officers calling their General “My Lord”, a totally unknown concept to a Roman. -
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
A slave with attitude
Spartacus (Dr Luca Kovac from ER) is a slave with attitude. He rebels against the brutal slave masters, leading all his fellow slaves in an uprising against the romans. Definitely worth a watch - has a bit of everything, romance, fighting, and a good plot too that reminds you how cruel the human race can be to its own members.
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Too Long
A poor remake, much too long and I found myself fast forwarding through a lot of scenes.
Fighting scenes quite good but, nothing compared to 'Troy'. -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Great film
A really good film in my view, very much like a TV movie but none the less very enjoyable.
Only down side to the film was Ross Kemp.
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8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
Enjoyable
Having read the reviews on Spartacus before deciding to see it for myself I did not expect much from this movie!
I was pleasantly surprised having watched it! The film itself was very watchable and at times you often found yourself relating to the characters and sympathinsing with what they went through. Obviously this film was never going to live up to the original or surpass the likes of 'Gladiator'. However, it is worth a watch despite Grant from Eastenders (Ross Kemp) putting in a very poor display of acting.
Recommended!!! -
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Excellent Retelling
This is NOT a retelling of the history of the Slave Revolt led by Spartacus in the 1st Century BCE; what it is a rewriting of the Kirk Douglas 1960 movie of Spartacus. In that rewriting this version shares many of the fictional historical constructs necessary to dramatise the story, since so very little is actually known, however it also shares many of the same scenes and dramatic constructs as well indeed a very great many of the scenes in this movie are taken directly from the 1960 movie.
Having said all that this version does many parts of the story much better than the 1960 movie and the scenes of the political in-fighting in the Roman Senate are particularly well done as are the battle scenes. We still have the total fiction of the Romans not having a fleet (tell the Carthaginians that one) and a great Pirate fleet being prepared to carry away Spartacus and all his men but its good drama I guess. Other excellent points are the way that with each victory elements of Roman armour and equipment appear in the Slave Army’s ranks.
There are a couple of really stupid and intensely infuriating bits such as where Crixus’s band all gain blue woad face paint as though they were extras from ‘Braveheart’ (where it is equally historically inaccurate by the way) and the Roman senior officers calling their General “My Lord”, a totally unknown concept to a Roman. -
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
A slave with attitude
Spartacus (Dr Luca Kovac from ER) is a slave with attitude. He rebels against the brutal slave masters, leading all his fellow slaves in an uprising against the romans. Definitely worth a watch - has a bit of everything, romance, fighting, and a good plot too that reminds you how cruel the human race can be to its own members.
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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Too Long
A poor remake, much too long and I found myself fast forwarding through a lot of scenes.
Fighting scenes quite good but, nothing compared to 'Troy'. -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Made for TV
This film rather than being an improvement on the old classic, bearing in mind the advancement in special effects etc, gives the impression of being a low budget 'made-for-TV' effort.
Ross Kemp in a skirt pretending to be a Roman? No sorry it didn't work for me. Stick to the original is my advice! -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Why try and remake a classic
It has Ross Kemp in it, need I say more? Rent out the original, don't waste your time with this version.
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Boring, boring, boring!!!
I was expecting more from this film. I kept watching, thinking it would liven up but it didn't!
If you're looking for a gripping film from beginning to end I think you'll be disappointed. -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Great film
A really good film in my view, very much like a TV movie but none the less very enjoyable.
Only down side to the film was Ross Kemp. -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Wonderful
I thought this version of Spartacus was miles better than the original.
I can remember watching the original at my Grandparents house years ago and not being too impressed.
This version however draws you into the drama at such a cracking pace that you feel like your a kid at Saturday afternoon pictures and you want to cheer Spartacus and his friends on noisly and boo the baddies! -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Goran Mmmmm ...
I really enjoyed this film, more then I thought, my best bits were the fact there was lots of Goran in just a small skirt and not much else. Very tasty.
But all in all worth the watch. And very surprised to see a former Eastender crop up in it too.
Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop
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Spartacus
This television production stars Goran Visnjic (ER) as the titular gladiator in this television adaptation of the same 1951 Howard Fast novel that spawned Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film classic. While living out his life as a slave the deserts of Egypt, Spartacus is bought by a trainer of gladiators ...
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