Wonderful Movie

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Goran Visnijic really isn't up to carrying a movie, and when you're playing a strong role like Spartacus, you need to do more than brood. The storyline was much better than the theatrical version starring Kirk Douglas. If it only had the budget of that version, it would have been much better. This story is a spectacle, and it needs to be told with a cast of thousands. Still, it had shockingly real moments and avoided the platitudes and preachiness of its 1960 counterpart. The film's strongest point was that it closely followed "The True Story of Spartacus", as shown on the History Channel. It was made for television and had to stay within a small budget, but they did convey the struggle accurately, but lacking the drama of a true historical epic. The story of Spartacus is one that needs to be told on a grand scale. This version had its moments, but cried out for stronger characters and a bigger budget. It was more brutally honest than the Kirk Douglas version, but it ultimately came off as a rough draft rather than the final product.

If there is any reason to watch this remake, it is Alan Bates' brief appearance as Agrippa. This was his very last, and his easy brilliance is a treasure, as always. There is also some decent camera work and editing in this mini-series. Poor Goran V. is horribly miscast as Spartacus. If he had hoped to break his type-cast as a thoughtful, well-spoken intellectual type with this role, he should have put some organic, animalistic effort into it. Vin Diesel (whom I detest) would have been better casting for this part. And as much as I sometimes tire of Kirk Douglas's over-the-top acting, his raw power in the original Spartacus was a world-away more convincing.

hi i'm new here, so i hope that i post that at the right place. i saw that film last thursday in the TV (in austria). i just love it (above all, goran visnjich is really handsome as "spartacus", isn't he?) Today i bought the roman from howard fast: "spartacus" and i'm going to read it immediately. i don't know if the film with kirk douglas is really better than this, because i've read a lot in the internet about people saying the actors act worse and there are too many bloody scenes but i don't think so. i mean, if you saw "troja" with brad pit: THAT'S only about fighting.i'd really recommend it, i think i'll buy it on DVD...greets from austriaalicia

The original Spartacus is a superior movie as movies go. However, this version has much to offer and won't disappoint. The depiction of the Gladiator fights has several authentic touches such as the branding on the neck of the losing fighter. The brand was to insure the gladiator wasn't faking death! They still got the thumbs-down crowd signal wrong. In the movies, the thumbs-down means the crowd wants the loser to die. In reality the thumbs-down meant to let the loser live and to signal the victor to put down their sword. The death signal was a thumb stabbing motion toward the heart. I suppose they can be forgiven because few people watching the movie would know that and it would probably confuse most people to change it. They likewise included the signal of the losing fighter to plead for mercy, but got that wrong slightly too because the signal is one finger, not two. Still, they obviously tried to get things more accurate. The gladiator characters were quite accurate as were their weaponry and armor. Very good job there. They obviously paid attention to the discoveries made since "Gladiator" came out in 2000.But the gladitorial combat scenes are a very small part of this movie. This is primarily a war movie and the war is a fight for freedom by slaves against the Roman empire. The producers retained much of the social commentary from Howard Fast's book. It fact they hit you over the head with it in case you didn't read the book. Most important in this the Draba character, the black gladiator who fights Spartacus. His role, though small, is key to the story. Also pay attention to Agrippa, the Roman Senator who is constantly making Crassius' life miserable. He's not what he seems, so pay attention.Watching the mini-series on USA Network over two separate nights days apart is unbearable. But when commercials are edited out and you can watch the whole thing without so many interruptions, the narrative is quite fluid. This would make a nice DVD because the photography is good, the costumes detailed, the acting/casting good, and the story excellent.It is just not the same movie as the 1960 version. Don't expect a simple remake. The ending is different. Spartacus' fate is different. It's more like Howard Fast wrote it originally than what Hollywood made of it in 1960.The 1960 version is superb, but it's not the same as this movie. It's a similar but different story. I highly recommend this version along with the original.