The life of Spartacus, the gladiator who led a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans, to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator, to the rebellion he leads and i... Read allThe life of Spartacus, the gladiator who led a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans, to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator, to the rebellion he leads and its ultimate outcome.The life of Spartacus, the gladiator who led a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans, to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator, to the rebellion he leads and its ultimate outcome.
- Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
- 5 wins & 20 nominations total
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Summary
Reviewers say 'Spartacus' is acclaimed for its intense action, strong character development, and vivid depiction of ancient Rome, with high production values and engaging plots. The performances of Andy Whitfield and Liam McIntyre as Spartacus are highly praised. However, the series is criticized for excessive violence, nudity, and profanity, which some find detract from the narrative. Historical accuracy and fight scenes receive mixed opinions, and the recasting of Spartacus after Andy Whitfield's passing elicits varied reactions.
Featured reviews
This series rocks! It is full of action packed historical fiction plots. As well as plenty of gratuitous nudity! Hehe
There were many skeptics leading into this new season (not technically season 2) of "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena", many feared it would not be worth watching without Andy Whitfield. For those with concerns, here is some advice: watch it! The major antagonist was lost from the previous season, but the character depth/story of the new leading actor is building AND new depths of past characters from "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" are unveiled. The history of how they developed is fascinating. The relationship differences between the two season are significant, thus there is a huge void of curiosity leftover to reveal how they developed to become the personalities they portrayed in season 1.
It would be remiss to leave out the absolute, succulent gratuity that peaks our senses! The world is enriched with beautiful people, outstanding wardrobes cast in a time that fascinates most, the Roman Empire. Did I mention that many of these beautiful people are quite revealing? Nudity! It is with taste I might add! Of course, references to porn are made, but no porn has the character depth and sophistication that gives the sexual scenes the passion that is conveyed in this series. The necessity to produce these scenes is important in fostering the time-period's stance of sexual openness. The costume range is great; the rich are adorned with lavish jewelry and a colorful, flowing wardrobe which is artistically chosen, and for the poor, well sometimes they are left with nothing. The gladiators are especially left without much clothing, but the armor they do wear is often demonic, intimidating and everything you would naturally expect to find on a person when they are fighting to the DEATH!
The fight scenes are well choreographed and blood is everywhere! The array of weapons to choose from, the differences in fighting styles, the varying levels of fighting skill all make for interesting battles in the arena. Also, bear in mind that the arena is not only for physical fighting, but the political fold is the pressing force behind the fights. Basically, it is more than just a fight, what you see is not entirely what you get. The fight's value is difference for the gladiator, than it is for the crowd, than it is for the owner's of the gladiators; and, these differences are excellently contrasted. The graphics are not top-notch, but it adds a stylistic element to the show. The blood is vibrant and sometimes seems to defy physics--it's great! The acting is intense and the director seems to strive away from being "natural" which is good. The intensity is not monochromatic and individual to each characters personality.
In a short and sweet summary, this gratuitous mash of beautiful people, fight scenes, political undertones is nothing short of brilliant. Watch it for what it is and you will not be disappointed.
It would be remiss to leave out the absolute, succulent gratuity that peaks our senses! The world is enriched with beautiful people, outstanding wardrobes cast in a time that fascinates most, the Roman Empire. Did I mention that many of these beautiful people are quite revealing? Nudity! It is with taste I might add! Of course, references to porn are made, but no porn has the character depth and sophistication that gives the sexual scenes the passion that is conveyed in this series. The necessity to produce these scenes is important in fostering the time-period's stance of sexual openness. The costume range is great; the rich are adorned with lavish jewelry and a colorful, flowing wardrobe which is artistically chosen, and for the poor, well sometimes they are left with nothing. The gladiators are especially left without much clothing, but the armor they do wear is often demonic, intimidating and everything you would naturally expect to find on a person when they are fighting to the DEATH!
The fight scenes are well choreographed and blood is everywhere! The array of weapons to choose from, the differences in fighting styles, the varying levels of fighting skill all make for interesting battles in the arena. Also, bear in mind that the arena is not only for physical fighting, but the political fold is the pressing force behind the fights. Basically, it is more than just a fight, what you see is not entirely what you get. The fight's value is difference for the gladiator, than it is for the crowd, than it is for the owner's of the gladiators; and, these differences are excellently contrasted. The graphics are not top-notch, but it adds a stylistic element to the show. The blood is vibrant and sometimes seems to defy physics--it's great! The acting is intense and the director seems to strive away from being "natural" which is good. The intensity is not monochromatic and individual to each characters personality.
In a short and sweet summary, this gratuitous mash of beautiful people, fight scenes, political undertones is nothing short of brilliant. Watch it for what it is and you will not be disappointed.
This is not a series for everyone and many people will find a lot in it offensive. They will have good cause. If you are under 16 you should not watch it. Why am i so excited by it then: For the ones that want to see fights, blood, brutality, sex, men looking like gods, blood, erotica, excitement, blood, swearing, allot of skulls being bashed, sweat, savagery, arena fights, honor, friendships intrigues, assassinations, and lets not forget some more blood, this is a show for you.
It is brutal and it is one of the best shows out there. It is not a soup opera and if you are one of those people that got excited by a show like CAPRICA skip this one.
This show makes your hart race. The first episode is the weakest, but by episode 4 which i just saw i am swearing by all the Roman Gods that this is what i was born to watch. It is raw bloody entertainment!
This show is so unique, it is in a category with THE WIRE, thought they have noting in common and their uniqueness lies in completely different places, they are bot light years away of what is being made.
For a low budget with computer graphics, after the first weaker episode, the show becomes so realistic, by episode 4 it has griped me in its razor sharp clutches and the downward spiral of darkness is leaving bloody marks on my soul!
If you like it you will love it, if you don't like it you will hate it.
It is brutal and it is one of the best shows out there. It is not a soup opera and if you are one of those people that got excited by a show like CAPRICA skip this one.
This show makes your hart race. The first episode is the weakest, but by episode 4 which i just saw i am swearing by all the Roman Gods that this is what i was born to watch. It is raw bloody entertainment!
This show is so unique, it is in a category with THE WIRE, thought they have noting in common and their uniqueness lies in completely different places, they are bot light years away of what is being made.
For a low budget with computer graphics, after the first weaker episode, the show becomes so realistic, by episode 4 it has griped me in its razor sharp clutches and the downward spiral of darkness is leaving bloody marks on my soul!
If you like it you will love it, if you don't like it you will hate it.
I have been waiting for the return of Spartacus: Blood and Sand for quite some time now. Unfortunately, Andy's cancer delayed this for a long time, so Starz gave us Gods of the Arena in stead.
All I can say is well done! We are introduced into the same society and atmosphere we were presented in Blood and Sand, but a few years before Spartacus's arrival. Most of the cast from the previous show is back, and the producers did a good job with making them look a bit younger. I will not give out the names, to avoid spoilers, but rest assured, you will not be disappointed by the number of familiar faces.
And, most importantly, everything that we've seen in Blood and Sand is here! All the gore, sex, and ruthlessness is back, and boy, I've missed it. Seeing the first episode of the new series, I had a sense of seriousness and ambition throughout the show. There is enough action to keep you entertained, but there are also plenty of sensual scenes and political schemes as well. The cast did a good job, as always, and I did not have the feeling that the actors lost interest since the first season, a thing that happens with lots of shows nowadays. Also, the special effects have gotten a little better, the filming is great too.
So, as a bottom line, Starz and it's Spartacus is back, just as strong as the old series, even if Spartacus himself is missing, for now. If you loved the previous show, you will love this too, no doubt, and if you didn't, well, you will start loving it now!
All I can say is well done! We are introduced into the same society and atmosphere we were presented in Blood and Sand, but a few years before Spartacus's arrival. Most of the cast from the previous show is back, and the producers did a good job with making them look a bit younger. I will not give out the names, to avoid spoilers, but rest assured, you will not be disappointed by the number of familiar faces.
And, most importantly, everything that we've seen in Blood and Sand is here! All the gore, sex, and ruthlessness is back, and boy, I've missed it. Seeing the first episode of the new series, I had a sense of seriousness and ambition throughout the show. There is enough action to keep you entertained, but there are also plenty of sensual scenes and political schemes as well. The cast did a good job, as always, and I did not have the feeling that the actors lost interest since the first season, a thing that happens with lots of shows nowadays. Also, the special effects have gotten a little better, the filming is great too.
So, as a bottom line, Starz and it's Spartacus is back, just as strong as the old series, even if Spartacus himself is missing, for now. If you loved the previous show, you will love this too, no doubt, and if you didn't, well, you will start loving it now!
10Rob1331
I don't even know how to describe how much I love Spartacus, both the original and the prequel. I've watched the entire series all the way through at least four or five times because it's just that good. All you have to is read through the reviews to see how beloved this series is. The entire cast is just incredible. I think most people thought when Andy Whitfield tragically died and they had to recast the role of Spartacus that it would drop in quality. It didn't! As good as Whitfield was, Liam McIntyre stepped in and was just as good. It will grab your attention from the first episode and hold it throughout the series. If you haven't seen this amazing show yet stop what you're doing right now and go watch it!
Did you know
- TriviaIn September 2010, Andy Whitfield (Spartacus) announced that he would not be able to appear in the second season because he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and was pursuing aggressive medical treatment. In January 2011, the Starz network announced that Australian actor Liam McIntyre had been chosen to replace Whitfield as Spartacus. In September 2011, Whitfield died at the age of 39.
- GoofsIn several episodes the use of the letter U, for example under the bust that Batiatus made for Spartacus, was seen. The letter U in Latin wasn't used in place of V as consonant until the Middle ages.
- Crazy creditsDuring the series run, each episode has shots from the season as the background while the credits roll. The pictures in the background vary depending on the season. The exception to this being the series finale where a montage of the characters are displayed.
- Alternate versionsTo get a FSK-18 rating in Germany, most of the episodes were edited to tone down the graphic violence. The censored episodes were later released on Blu-ray uncensored with a SPIO/JK rating.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Wright Stuff: Episode #13.35 (2010)
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- Also known as
- Spartacus: Blood and Sand
- Filming locations
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h(60 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
- 16:9 HD
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