Not quite there

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2000)

The show was good but not great. It would, hopefully, revive the sword and sandal genre on a more epic scale. There were a few "big" moments like the opening battle scene but everything just peters out towards the ending. Even the gladiator fight scenes, though well cheoreographed, were not exactly epic in scale. The only other visual feast was when Comedius returned to Rome as the succeeding emperor but that was in the first third of the film!
Russell Crowe does a fine job but the most interesting role belongs to Connie Nielsen. She seemed morally ambiguous and her claims of fearing her brother and being coerced into certain actions were only half-believable. She could be more opportunistic and manipulative than cowered and a victim of circumstance. This role could be explored deeper but I'm glad there was such a character to cast some doubt and shadow in an otherwise black or white morality storyline.
Watch the show for it is a fine piece of work but NOT one of the best film that one will ever see.