Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

Wow. The violence of Apocalypto, the intrigue of Game of Thrones and the fighting of 300. All in one. Xena's boobs. Violence, sex, blood, intrigue, swords, tits, dicks, treason, gladiators, orgies. This is a portrayal of dirty old Rome to its best. Fan-fucking-fastic. A must see.

Well this is the prequel to a great TV series called Spartacus. It's not a film, but it's really awesome, and better than nearly all sword & sandal films. If you like a fast-paced story arc, memorable characters, epic gladiator battles, blood, sex, and plenty of stylized sword & sandal action, you've got to watch this. Other than HBO's 'Rome', Spartacus is the best sword & sandal TV series I've ever seen.

Not as good as the first series, but still highly entertaining.

Not as good as the first series, but more than decent.

For a six-episode miniseries thrown together in a huge hurry and missing the series' title character (they were literally days from shooting season 2 when Andy's cancer came back, and threw this together FAST), it's just the bee's fucking knees. All the backstabbing, politicking, ultra-nudity, insane blood-soaked mega fights, plot twists, and comic booky visual style of the series, all in six whirlwind hours held together by how good John Hannah and Dustin Clare are as Batiatus and Gannicus.

I've watched this without seeing any of the other Spartacus shows, so I am reviewing it as a stand-alone piece. This is probably one of the most entertaining stories I have ever seen set in Ancient Rome. The historical accuracy is garbage, since gladiators rarely fought against each other during the Republican era, but apart from that we get really believable characters and a true decadent Roman atmosphere. Recommended to everyone who is eager to see either Ancient Rome or a good action series.

Yes, you tell what's going to happen to all of the major characters we know and love before you even view the first episode, but it's pretty hard to resist watching them back-stab, screw, and maim each other until the finale.

I wasn't expecting much from a miniseries thrown together mostly to appease fans waiting on a second season and I was surprised by how damn good it was. I guess I shouldn't have been. It has most everything that made the first season great along with GAAAAAANICUS. If you plan on watching the Spartacus series, do not skip this over. It is a must-watch.

For a show nailed together at the last minute, it's not bad. A good example of how to schill a character you might want later, mother-flipping Gannicus.