Spartacus is no Rome

Starz's new original series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, is no Rome (HBO). But, let's face it, it's really trying to be more like a TV drama version of Zack Snyder's 300. At that, its not half-horribly succeeding. If you didn't largely detest 300 and its almost entirely CGI created scenes, effects, and overuse of slo-mo/"bullet time"/ramping (perhaps not the best tactic if your action is flawed), you might find some interest here.

For me, it was worth a chuckle or two. Such as when Spartacus himself, when leaving his wife to go off to battle, ties a ribbon around her leg and says, "Keep me close to your thighs." Or when parting from a rival he utters, "My boot will find your ass in the afterlife." Dialouge is not the least of its shortcomings.

Don't bother looking for any similarities to Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film either. You'll be sorely pressed to find any.