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Spartacus: Blood and
Sand is one
of Starz original
productions that
continue to build up
the company’s media
portfolio. It tries
to be like an HBO
series sometimes,
but it adds a few
different twists and
turns to make it
different from what
we’ve seen on the
other premium
network’s
programming.
Spartacus follows
Spartacus… even
though that’s not
his real name. His
tribe gets sent to
war to help the
Romans, but when his
village is on the
verge of getting
attacked, he leaves
the battle-front and
detracts from the
army. This causes a
wicked stretch of
events for the
Romans, who then go
after him.
Eventually he finds
himself destined to
die in the arena as
a gladiator, only he
wins, so his fate is
to be a slave and a
gladiator until he
dies in the arena.
Sure there are
things he fights
for, his wife, his
freedom, but you
know he’ll never
earn either.
Spartacus: Blood and
Sand follows
the character
through the awful
world of Rome and it
follows a few
supporting
characters from time
to time too.
Spartacus: Blood and
Sand is a
decent show. It’s a
hybrid of sorts; it
tries to mix traits
of movies like
Sin City and
300 with a
show that’s similar
to HBO’s
Rome to make
a separate and
unique entity. For
the most part it
does that, but there
are moments when
that violence ala
Sin City and
300 bring
more style than
substance to the
mix. That and the
acting by a few
different characters
in the early
episodes are its
biggest flaws.
There are flaws but
there are also some
awesome action
scenes and some
wicked story lines
to follow throughout
the show that will
keep you watching.
You can’t jump into
the show late in the
season though, so
it’s best to get the
Blu-ray package if
you want to get into
this. That way you
can watch it from
start to finish.
It’s also packed
with several bonus
features in addition
to its 13 episodes.
Just like HBO’s
Rome,
Spartacus: Blood and
Sand tries
to push the envelope
a little too far
with the debauchery
of Rome. The show
comes to its own
halfway through the
season and there are
some great moments
but it’s still not
as good as HBO
content. If you like
action shows in a
historical setting-
you will find
something to like
with
Spartacus: Blood and
Sand- The Complete
First Season.
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