The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Okay - yes, the acting was pretty bad, the special effects were laughable, the CGI was awful and the soldiers needed to go back to archery school to learn how to shoot an arrow. However, it actually had a bit of a plot which I don't see much on SyFy movies.Eric Roberts looked and acted worse than I've ever seen him. I can't believe he even took this role. The cyclops had on what looked like a Speedo and walked like he was a puppet, however, I actually started liking him and felt bad for him at the end. I usually can't watch anything on SyFy but I did feel this was one of their better movies. I've seen much, much worse. My 25 year old son was in shock that I watched this but I wasn't expecting it to win any awards. I won't bother writing a synopsis as you've pretty much got the idea of the movie.

Okay, this wasn't Gladiator level bad rewriting, but it was pretty stupid, nonetheless.Eric Roberts stars as the Emperor Tiberius as written by someone fairly ignorant of Roman History. (That would be *you* Roger Corman.) Apparently, a Cyclops is on the loose, and they decide to put it in gladiatorial games. Except the Gladiators want to restore the Republic. Really. (Right. If you were a gladiator in Rome, you were the most sociopathic type they had... It's like saying Gacy and Dahmner wanted to restore democracy, really.) We have the usual "Skiffy Channel" cheese here, including a truly badly rendered CGI monster, no sex, badly choreographed action scenes...Well, try to have a good time, anyway.

The rise of cyclops is the fall of Rome, says the box. And that pretty much sums up this picture. The Roman Empire captures the cyclops with intentions of using him in the Colosseum for their own amusement. But when they wrong one of their top guards and turn him into a gladiator, the guard and the cyclops form a very unusual alliance against the emperor. Beware the eye of cyclops, Caesar! "Dude, that looks like the worst film ever," is what my editor says to me when I show him the latest movie on my desk for review. Well, luckily for me, that's not quite true. The film is somewhat silly and the special effects are pretty much the worst thing you'll find anywhere in the world (even Brazil). I've ranted time and again about why I hate CG, so I won't do it here... the evidence speaks for itself. But, if you ignore the effects (which is difficult with cyclops getting so much screen time) it's not a bad film. Just don't ask why the cyclops wears underwear and who makes them.If you're a fan of "Gladiator" and bad horror movies, this is for you. I don't know how accurate this one is -- probably not very -- but the costumes and fight scenes are decent, and even better if you're drinking Scotch whiskey. If you're me, you're always drinking Scotch whiskey (except now... I'm in a bar drinking a rail whiskey and coke). The portrayal of slaves and prostitutes is cheesy, but you'll have that.Why is this film not "the worst film ever"? Easy -- it's entertaining. Horror fans have a habit of lovingly ripping on their viewing choices. Don't believe me? Go to a horror film opening night or to one of Chicago's specialty theaters, like the Portage or Music Box. If the fans are yelling out bad jokes, that means they love it. And I think my commentary was more or less non-stop during "Cyclops". So, I was entertained, and unlike most of the films I see, I'd gladly see this one again.Perhaps this tarnishes Roger Corman's good name. Let's just blame Julie Corman and assume Roger was asleep when this was produced. But either way, it's better than you think. Not modern classic good, not you must have it in your collection good... but if you need a rental for some light-hearted horror fans -- especially ones who drink -- this is a great choice for that Friday or Saturday night marathon.

Plot spoiler. Plot pits good vs. evil. Good wins.What's with Eric Roberts? There can't be any money in making junk like this. That was Lord Oliver's excuse for making junk that was hugely better than this. Does ER perceive it as irony? Maybe he just drinks.For the most part I thought Kevin Stapleton did a decent job. He's not Russell Crowe, but this isn't "Gladiator," either. I can't say much for either of the female characters. Usually the Sci Fi Channel junk has a couple of youthful cuties, hotties, even. Not so here. Frida Show (or Farrell as the case may be) is neither cute nor hot and though this is the "break-out" role for Tania Kozhuharova, she isn't either.The CGI sux. It was abominable. So was the plot.Someone said the sets came from the TV version of "Spartacus." Maybe they did, but my high school gym had more seats than the so-called Coliseum. The original structure seated over 80,000. Also, construction on this edifice began in 70 AD. Tiberius died in 37 AD. And it's fair to say that Rome did not revert to a Republic upon Tiberius' death, whether he had his head removed by a CGI beastie, or no. There is no Science Fiction involved here, just fiction.