Spartacus on DVD (2004)

ben147 from South Yorkshire , 18/11/2004

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!!!

  8 out of 9 people found this review helpful

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Diomedes from Northamptonshire , 05/03/2005

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.

  6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

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Lynette from Coventry, England , 12/03/2005

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.

  4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

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cupcake1 from surrey , 08/12/2004

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'.

  4 out of 5 people found this review helpful

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MikeandJulia from West Yorkshire , 26/04/2005

I was unsure as to whether I would enjoy this (it being a remake and all) however it turned out to be very, very good!

Assuming you've chosen it expecting the kind of story it covers, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Don't expect it to follow it's predecessor scene for scene because it doesn't.

A long haul but worth it (with the appropriate cuppa and loo breaks to avoid DVT!)

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

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ben147 from South Yorkshire , 18/11/2004

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!!!

  8 out of 9 people found this review helpful

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