Spartacus! Spartacus! Spartacus!
I finally got around to watching Spartacus: Blood and Sand today, the first episode at least. As someone who loved 300, and Sin City, and other movies of that grand noir tradition, this was a series tailor-made for me.
What do I really think of it, so far?
I think it's a little thin in development. It relies too heavily on effects and blood and violence. I expected that, though, so I moved past it. The story is one we're familiar with, the characters are mostly forgettable except for the major players, and I'm one of those people who wants even the secondary characters to stick and be great too. I think the way they play with the blood effects is ridiculous and nowhere near life-like, and thus proves distracting (but that ties back into them relying far too much on that to entertain).
However...in spite of that...this is a show I can see myself loving.
It comes at the end of the pilot, when Spartacus is in the arena and he's been injured and is literally a hair's breadth from death...and he rallies. He's up against insurmountable odds, he's injured, and he's basically given up, but he DOESN'T. You can't help but cheer for him then, can't help but WANT him to win despite everything. THAT is the moment where I truly began to like this show. I can forgive the campy effects and the so far lackluster story and background, but Spartacus became a character I love in that moment.
*leaves to watch next episode* Let's hope it gets better.
ETA: Also, LORD MOTHERFECKING RAHL IS IN S:B&S! How did I not know Craig Parker was in this?
ETA(2): ...so much hawter with short hair, can I get a HOT!DAMN.
What do I really think of it, so far?
I think it's a little thin in development. It relies too heavily on effects and blood and violence. I expected that, though, so I moved past it. The story is one we're familiar with, the characters are mostly forgettable except for the major players, and I'm one of those people who wants even the secondary characters to stick and be great too. I think the way they play with the blood effects is ridiculous and nowhere near life-like, and thus proves distracting (but that ties back into them relying far too much on that to entertain).
However...in spite of that...this is a show I can see myself loving.
It comes at the end of the pilot, when Spartacus is in the arena and he's been injured and is literally a hair's breadth from death...and he rallies. He's up against insurmountable odds, he's injured, and he's basically given up, but he DOESN'T. You can't help but cheer for him then, can't help but WANT him to win despite everything. THAT is the moment where I truly began to like this show. I can forgive the campy effects and the so far lackluster story and background, but Spartacus became a character I love in that moment.
*leaves to watch next episode* Let's hope it gets better.
ETA: Also, LORD MOTHERFECKING RAHL IS IN S:B&S! How did I not know Craig Parker was in this?
ETA(2): ...so much hawter with short hair, can I get a HOT!DAMN.