Spartacus et les dix gladiateurs

This was the second of three "Ten Gladiators" films made during the '60s, each starring Dan Vadis.

Like the first film, "The Ten Gladiators," this one is based on characters from history, freely adapting a fictional story within the historical setting. Consequently, the plot reflects the oppression and brutality of Antiquity, albeit with an occasional sprinkling of humor to lighten things up.

Director Nick Nostro keeps the pace going fast and furious, and the film does cover a lot of ground in 90 minutes. The characters are likable; the ten gladiators are handsome and appealing; the locations and sets are impressive; the score is excellent. It should be noted that one must see "Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators" in its native CinemaScope format to appreciate how dynamic and well produced it really is. Those blurry, faded 4:3 16mm TV prints don't do it justice.

Leading man Dan Vadis was never more handsome than he was in this and its follow-up "Triumph of the Ten Gladiators." The same can be said for the other nine warriors, whose physiques provide ample eye candy during the movie's slower passages.

Like all pre-21st century films, the viewer must have a normal human attention span to enjoy this motion picture. Consequently, contemporary audiences, unable to stop texting or smoking pot while "watching," will likely be too preoccupied expressing their usual disdain and condescension to enjoy it...

Choose not to make that mistake yourself.