Spartacus: Blood and Sand @ Wikipedia

Spartacus: Blood and Sand @ IMDb

Trailer: This is Sparta … cus!

Spartacus (a name given to him by the Romans later), a Thracian, joins forces with a Roman Legatus to fight against an evil horde that constantly raid their villages, rob their crop and rape their women. But then the Romans don’t hold their end of the bargain and the Thracians desert to protect their villages on their own. The Legatus doesn’t take that too kindly and follows them. He can take Spartacus as a prisoner and sentences him to die in the arena. But that man is not that easy to kill.

Lots of nudity (male and female). Even more blood. Better you put a bucket below your telly in case it spills out of the screen. The visual appearance leans more towards 300 than Gladiator, especially when there’s blood flowing. The problem is the story. These first two episodes show how Spartacus became a Gladiator but it didn’t give the viewer an idea what the entire show is going to be about. And that’s why I am not yet convinced. To quote Buffy’s Spike: “I love a good slaughter as much as the next bloke.” but I also need a real story in between.
Time will tell … at least you now get the chance you never got with Xena: To see Lucy Lawless in the nude.

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Categories: Short Review
Tags: 300 · Buffy the Vampire Slayer · Gladiator · Spartacus: Blood and Sand · Xena: Warrior Princess