FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Spartacus [DVD] [2004]

Spartacus [DVD] [2004]
enlarge	Actors: Goran Visnjic, Alan Bates, Angus Macfadyen, Rhona Mitra, Ian McNeice Studio: Universal Pictures UK Category: DVD List Price: ~~£12.99~~ Buy New: £2.64 as of 24/11/2009 05:47 GMT details You Save: £10.35 (80%) New (11) Used (1) from £2.64 Seller: selectcheaper Rating: 9 reviews Sales Rank: 27180 Format: PAL Language: English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 167 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5050582268515 ASIN: B0002W1AKA Theatrical Release Date: April 18, 2004 Release Date: October 25, 2004 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 9 1 2 Next » Superb! December 30, 2005 8 out of 8 found this review helpful Although this film is a bit slow to get started, once the slaves break free the pace quickens up consierably. The battle scenes are excelent, and the plot easy to follow and understand. brIt shows the problems Spartacus faced with his other generals wanting to make the Romans slaves, but this might not be true. Apart from a few minor historical innacuracies the film is superb. A great film to watch, but it will take up a lot of time. Spartacular May 19, 2005 9 out of 14 found this review helpful I have seen the epic movie several times but was interested in seeing this. Goran Visnjic is great as Spartacus - you can see he got very fit for the role. I think this version depicts more violence (which is what would have happened in those times). It amazes me still how sick the Romans were at the way they looked at the gladiators as a source of entertainment, burning people etc - makes you feel ill just thinking about the mentality of the people then. Angus Macfadyen was good as Marcus Crassus - he really came across as the totally crazy roman. Recommended version. Not perfect but not bad! January 5, 2005 K. Richardson (Broxbourne, Herts, UK) 12 out of 15 found this review helpful First the bad stuff - its not Spartacus as we know it. The original movie is simply irreplaceable. Hell, its not even Gladiator but it is an entertaining romp through the Spartacus legend in the form of Goran Visnijc - and a very nice form it is too! The acting is almost uniformly good for a made for tv movie. The only jarring note for me was Angus Macfadjen in the role of Crassus but perhaps no-one should be made to follow Laurance Olivier in trying to do that role justice. Also, the killing of Spartacus is a slight anti-climax - not for Goran the heroics of being crucified a la Kirk Douglas!pThe running time at almost three hours is slightly overlong for one sitting and my attention did wander slightly but overall I would recommend this to all fans of sand and sandal epics - and Goran Visnic! pretty good overall August 2, 2007 Anthony Last (New Zealand) 2 out of 2 found this review helpful I agree with one commentator's view of life in Roman times as being brutal. However, I do disagree with her assertion that Gladiators were treated as low life or sub human. Slaves very definitely were treated in this manner, but Gladiators were not. They very often became heroes to the Roman public. Also, there were fewer fights to the death than some people might think. the Romans enjoyed the spectacle of the fight more. br / br /As for the film, this was a tv mini sries and therefore lacked the vastness of the production of the earlier film where the Roman legions could be seens in all their glory and indeed strength, although the battle scenes were not how the legions fought. They were very disciplined and fought in lines, shields held together, not in one to one combat. I agree that Crassus had been miscast, but then who could have out acted Olivier. History tells us though, that it was Pompey who defeated the slaves and not Crassus. br / br /Still, I enjoyed it!! Better than Kirk Douglas? March 1, 2005 John Tait (Croydon, Surrey) 16 out of 16 found this review helpful I viewed this film initially with some trepidation, used as I was to the Kirk Douglas version. I was,however,pleasantly surprised.pGoran Visnjiic is no Kirk Douglas, but his performance grew on me and his interplay with Varinia (Rhona Mitra) was at least the equal of that in the earlier film. It was less of a "film star" performance, and overall I feel that this was the strength of this film, as the stars did not seem to be trying to outdo each other as Olivier and Laughton did.pAgain Angus McFadden is not Olivier, and of the principals he was the one I was least impressed with; there seemed some inconsistencies in his interpretation. Perhaps he was just relieved at not having to seduce Tony Curtis (another plus was that we were also spared a Curtis type song!). Batiatus is also a bit of a non-event when compared with Peter UstinovpAlan Bates turned in an impressive performance as Agrippa, an initially powerful man slowly realising that his Rome has changed for the worse. pThe history is better than the original, too, including the building of Crassus' retaining wall to attempt to trap the slaves near the coast.pOn the downside, the arena and battle scenes can't compare with the likes of "Gladiator".pNot a classic, but still worth a viewing if you like the period and want to see a non-Hollywood version of the story. Showing reviews 1-5 of 9 1 2 Next »

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