Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Despite all the bad comments on this film, I think it was excellent. I haven't read the book and it inspired me to order the book. Many complaints about the Masada but nobody actually knew how it look liked 2000 thousand years ago. I think this leaves you with a beautiful imagination to how it really was, and you can think of this film after-wards with more violence and more brutal suffering and more sex and more drama. Today all over the world we are still struggling with immigrants, Xenophobia, and Isis. The craving for power never stopped. This was a good summary of a bad tragedy that we are seeing on the news today. Very well played in a mannered way. Vibrant colors and scenery throughout the film. Good Story in general. And most certainly a DVD that I would own and watch again when I need to be inspired.

I too am part of the large group who think this made-for-TV movie is a disaster. I lasted longer than most, however. I actually watched all but the last hour of Part 2. Eventually, I couldn't take more of the same thing. It was beautifully filmed, but the acting was so wooden, the story so dull. What was with Cote de Pablo? Was her expression painted on? And I think it is Mido Hamada who has one of the most forced smiles I have ever seen. Showin' off new choppers, Mido? Finally, Sam Neill was so disappointing in this role. But the character is such a boring one to begin with. I shouldn't fault the actor with simply delivering what was given. I found the way the story was presented to be thoroughly confusing. I couldn't get interested in the characters, and the minute I started to "get" one of them, the plot switched to another character, and I was out in the dark once again. Now, don't get me wrong. I like an "adult" drama, maybe even verging on soap opera, but this one is a prime example of poorly written, acted, and directed schlock. At the start of the last "love in the cistern" scene, I actually broke out laughing. And in one of them, the continuity was so bad, I grimaced: the actors kept flipping from left to right side of each other with absolutely no transition or movement whatsoever. Was this supposed to be some artsy filming? Because it looked kind of deliberate, or I should say, blatant. Didn't work for me. What was the point?

Really the only good thing about this film was the visuals. Everything else about it was just terrible. This movie was in essence a women's romance novel set during biblical times. The film hardly hold up to Judea/Christian values though. The two main women in the movie sleep with every man they meet. This is unacceptable in our time, but in this time in history they would have been killed for it. To add insult to injury they also practice witchcraft. No one ever seems to question any of this behavior though, and everyone acts like this is perfectly normal. I never did watch the second night. It was so terrible I could not bear another night of this trash. The characters are empty, and wooden. The men are all hunky (right off the cover of a romance novel). Do yourself a favor and skip this. Your brain will thank you for it.

Thank you Roma and Mark -beats all the garbage on TV, we can't hardly watch regular TV anymore, let alone cable ,too much trash. looking forward to much more Christian centered, bible stories, thank you for your conviction, God bless! The acting was good and I personally love the historical info. We need more clean, positive programs on TV or we may give it up, just watch our movies and read books. We could all use more history. Interesting how the same problems are going on in mankind, we just don't really change as humans, same old issues, ironic how so much of what is going on in the world now, was going on back in 70 ad, we love learning more of ancient Middle East history/stories, helps us to understand the evolution of cultures and societies.We Americans need to learn more history of here and the world....or may be destined to keep repeating it........