kind of like an imax film

Rating: 7/10 (28 May 2000)

Good graphics, good gore special effects, awesome decapitations. About an hour and a half of useless boring talking head crap that should've been cut or infused with decent writing. Semi-interesting but ultimately flat story. Reminded me of "Payback" (Mel Gibson takes on the mob) minus the humour. This guy was UNSTOPPABLE.. I mean, why didn't he just take on the whole Roman army himself? Totally unbelievable.
The special effects are awesome, the fight scenes are stylistic masterpieces. I have been to Rome however, I have seen the Coliseum, and I don't think it would ever look quite so "gold". Actually, everything looks "gold" in this film, giving the film a somewhat tacky commercial sheen. I wish he'd done something a little more rough around the edges like Spielberg did in Saving Private Ryan. The one dimensional story never approaches the emotional impact of Kubrick's "I am Spartacus" climax either.
Still, I must admit that this would make for a very nice Imax experience. The set design is impeccable and the background detail is meticulous. If you ever fantasized about visiting ancient Rome, this is as good as it gets.