The Red Serpent

Brilliant retelling. The first episode is unlike any other throughout the entire series but it is very tender and easy to follow. It sets a compelling back story for Spartacus that can neither be confirmed nor denied by historians. (Which is in part, the genius of the show itself. With history offering so little fact on Spartacus, the writers take liberty with each episode on the understanding of; "We're not saying it actually happened this way, but who's to say it didn't?" The introduction of the characters taking place in Thrace, gives the viewer an almost "Braveheart" experience, along with the stylized "300" action. Some of the CGI and blood work is rough and sloppy but done tastefully enough considering the short production schedule for a television show. Actors were very well chosen. Particularly, the star character and the villain. Craig Parker's range as an actor was seen within one episode and his character is someone that you want to stay alive just so you have someone to hate fervently. Andy Whitfield, brings a deep and tragic charisma to a character that History can say was nothing more than a brutish and skilled soldier and strategist. He is easily very likable. Erin Cummings gives a mesmerizing performance as Sura, the prophetess wife of our hero. Though Cummings attempt at donning an English accent is not carried well, she compensates with the other aspects of her acting. (Almost forcing the audience to step inside of her emotions within each scene that she's in) The episode concluding in Capua and setting the stage for what the rest of the first season would look like, was a nice touch and not over done. (We as the audience were given enough time to grieve the life that Spartacus and Sura once shared and were eager to see what rests for their futures.) Very well done Pilot. They have set the stage for a show that could create a huge following.

I, like many people, was very much looking forward to this mini series..the trailer had huge potential, and after films like 300 and Gladiator, you would think that the creators would have much to work with. But, unfortunately, the result was incredibly lame..and here's why: acting - sub par at best..lines were presented half ass and didn't show emotion that is necessary for an epic of this scale.

action scenes - amateurishly shot. now here is where 300 comes in..because anyone could tell that they took what was made in that movie and threw it into this one..but with terrible results..i have never seen a more obvious studio room setting since the old horror movies from the 1920s. im sorry, but slow motion every half a second and CGI blood slatters do not a good story make.

thats really all there was to it..action and acting..for those into costumes and the like, there is much to enjoy looking at. but other than that..a huge disappointment of a first episode..and i can only speculate that the coming episodes will be just as lame. the hour i watched was like watching every scene from 300 thrown into a smaller time limit, with worse acting and worse direction. oh..and there is plenty of sex. shot exactly like the scene in 300. jeez..this is pretty much the poor mans 300. enough ranting for me, but cmon people, be more creative than that.

I doubt Stanley Kubrick or Kirk Douglas would be losing sleep over this.

The first episode is a cross between 300, Gladiator and Rome.

Spartacus and his villagers joins the Roman to kill the barbarians that periodically attack them. After being betrayed by the Romans, he finds himself taken to a gladiatorial stadium to do battle.

After seeing his fellow villagers being slayed by more powerful warriors, it is his turn enter the arena.

The first episode is told in flashbacks to establish the character of Spartacus and his beef with the Romans.

The Executive Producer is Sam Raimi. This is Hercules and Xena with swearing, strong violence and CGI with claims to serious storytelling. It is still campy as hell.

There is also a lot of nudity but it is all done for genuine artistic purposes (honestly!)

It only comes on its own with the violence in the gladiatorial arena so the fake CGI blood can flow freely.

This is i belive the 3rd time im rewatching this amazing show.

Its really great to first off all see all the old characters again and also how spartacus got his name to begin with.

First time i watched this i gave it a 7/10 but now rewatching it its a 8/10.

The new Spartacus television series is already polarizing opinions, many thinking it is either genius or garbage. It's pretty early for a pronouncement on the whole series but this episode was pretty much as advertised.

Visually, this is very much what was seen in the previews. A direction that mimics 300 as closely as possible stylistically, without really understanding what Zach Snyder was doing or why. The fact it's a television show probably also limited time and money compared to a movie experience. Everything you've seen in 300 is there in theory, though. Model-like actors, slow-motions, surrealistic bluescreen backgrounds for landscape shots, color correction, etc... Unfortunately, none of it is as well done as 300 but if you loved that stuff in the movie, you may enjoy the visuals here.

Story-wise, we're in classic theory. The story of Spartacus, the movie Gladiator are obvious influences here, along with some nods again to 300. The basic plot should be simple and effective but unfortunately, the script in this particular episode was really weak. Some of the lines are downright embarrassing. We're definitely not in HBO Rome quality of dialogue. There's an old cinema feel of obviousness in most lines and plot points and you've seen all of this before.

Acting-wise is really another fairly weak spot. Andy Whitfield is barely getting by in the title role. Most of the others are embarrassingly bad, especially the female actors. Erin Cummings recites her lines and it's tough to buy the love between Sura and Spartacus. They sure can pretend to get laid, though and do that very well! Viva Bianca, much like Cummings, is another actress who seems to have gotten the part simply based on her looks and shows absolutely no acting ability whatsoever.

These acting weaknesses make it tough to take Blood and Sand very seriously. The bright spot in this episode was the ever-reliable John Hannah. Hannah and Lucy Lawless had very few screen time in this episode but I expect much of the intrigue (and actor heavy work) will come from these two. THis could make the series more interesting as a result.

So, what are you left with? Spartacus is fairly entertaining if you are a nut for antiquity-based movie/television and like epic Hollywood action. Unfortunately, the highly stylized nature of Spartacus may look very appealing right now but this is not a series that will age very well compared to others. Rome, for instance, may look much less flashy than this stuff but 10 years from now, will not look like a bad Rick Astley video clip. Spartacus on the other hand may very well end up with that fate.

It's still cool, but a little too CGI heavy. Hard not to laugh when Spartacus sticks a trident in some gladiator's back and a bloodbath that rivals "The Shining" ensues. But if you're there to enjoy highly stylized fights and polished scenes of pretty actors making out, this might entertain you. Comparisons to HBO's Rome are not only unfair but useless. They are totally different beasts and aim to entertain differently. Watch Blood and Sand for what it is.

I'm hoping the story and acting picks up and that later episodes will adjust the CGI effects a little. If not, I may lose interest despite all the chrome and polish.