the leading man is my tpye

The greatest movie ever made..!

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The first must-see film of the year.

The TV miniseries opens in Gaul 72 B.C. where the Romans put an end to Varinia's world making her a slave… Meanwhile Spartacus (Goran Visnjic) is free from the hell of the gold mines of Egypt to be trained as gladiator in the establishment of Lentulus Batiatus (Ian McNeice).Most of "Spartacus" contains many of the miniseries' best moments… The operation of the gladiatorial school and its training program is impressive and expressive; the apprentice gladiators are treated like special animals, tutored to perform in the arena as spectator-sport-killers, and occasionally rewarded with a woman in their cells…In this degrading manner Spartacus meets Varinia (Rhona Mitra) and it is his love for her and his hatred for his captors that brings about his decision to escape and lead revolt…Particularly effective is the scene in which Marcus Crassus (Angus Macfadyen) and his bored entourage visit the establishment and request for a private showing at its best of a pair of Thracians… Crassus wanted to see courage, passion, and above all finality…Spartacus is matched with the African Draba in a fight to the death, but Draba (maybe rather than live as a beast) chooses to die as a man, attacking his spectators…The scene summarizes the iniquity of the situation, the cruelty of bondage, and the subsequent uprising of gladiators in Capua becomes a triumph easy to understand… Director Robert Donrhelm did a decent job, carrying the grandeur and the decay of ancient Rome

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.

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.

You will not find one Gladiator from the Bronx, like the Tony Curtis character in the Kirk Douglas version, saying "I luv ya Spa-da-gus." Instead this excellently acted version of Spartacus is compelling and realistic. It follows the history of the real Spartacus more closely than the Hollywood version. Goran Visnjic's portrayal of Spartacus is the best. He is so convincing as warrior, leader, and lover. The rest of the cast gives top notch performances as well. The love story is heart warming and tender with great chemistry between the lovers. PLUS, the lead role gladiators all did their own stunts in the gladiatorial arenas and on the battlefields -- loved the "twirling sword" action (like twirling a six gun.) There was a second airing a few days back and I watched it again. I hope they release the DVD soon.