Blu-ray Review: SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA - Violent, Hedonistic, Gripping
Set in the same universe of bloodlust and hedonism, but without the titular character, this series revolves around the House of Batiatus and the school of gladiators trained within its grounds.
rating: 4
Spartacus: Blood and Sand was a series that I was ready to laugh at dismissively, calling it a TV version of the similarly stylised 2006 film, 300. However, when the series actually came out, it was surprisingly watchable. Once I was done leering at the series' comical excesses of sex and violence, I found myself captivated by an well-developed story of intrigue, greed and betrayal. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is a prequel series to Blood and Sand and is available now on Blu-ray. Set in the same universe of bloodlust and hedonism, but without the titular character, this series revolves around the House of Batiatus and the school of gladiators trained within its grounds. There are essentially two parallel plotlines in Gods of the Arena. One focuses on Quintus Batiatus (John Hannah) as he attempts to balance the House's reputation with gaining favour from all the right people, while the other revolves around the gladiators, as each must overcome personal obstacles, politics and adversity to make a name for themselves in the arena.
At first, it's difficult to warm to the main characters. Quintus is a spineless hedonist, while Dustin Clare's performance as gladiatorial Champion Gannicus seems somewhat vacant. These performances are thankfully covered up by a strong supporting cast, many of whom have a decent amount of time in the spotlight. Even though the plot is thin for the first couple of episodes, Spartacus can still be enjoyed for its spectacular visuals and relentless interspersing of gratuitous sex and violence. From the third episode, Spartacus really gathers pace. Intriguing sub-plots begin to develop, such as that of the wild Gaul Crixus (Manu Bennett), who is determined to prove himself worthy of the gladiatorial stamp, or the pair of Syrians who stick together, but bear a growing resentment for each other. From this point, Spartacus switches from being a visual tour-de-force to a gripping TV drama (with its visceral excesses never letting up, of course). Visually, Spartacus repeats many of the clichés seen in 300. The action sequences are brilliantly choreographed, but overdone with the shifting between fast- and slow-motion. The series has a gold-tinted aesthetic that gives all the characters a kind of metallic sheen, which fits well with a show entitled 'Gods of the Arena.' 
Betrayal, bloodshed, and even a bit of forbidden love saturate the second half of the series. The arrival of Quintus' father, Titus (Jeffrey Archer), adds some welcome family conflict to the mix, as he expresses disapproval at his son's reckless running of the house. His presence gives Quintus added depth, and allows his wife Lucretia to step up as a character, and become more than a middle-aged sex doll. The series builds towards a spectacular climax where all the plot-lines converge around one final arena battle. As well as providing an orgy of unexpected twists, some of the outcomes manage to be quite unpredictable, and you'll come away from the series feeling gratified on both a carnal and storytelling level. Whether it's better than Blood and Sand is hard to tell, but on its own merits Gods of the Arena is a brilliantly-produced and highly watchable mini-series. Quality
Just as it doesn't hold back from sex and violence, Gods of the Arena maximises the Blu-ray format. With a 1080p video resolution and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Audio, the quality of the disc does justice to the film's visuals and sounds. The picture is crisp and clean, without being overdone on DNR, and the film's matte texture complements its dry, sandy setting.
Extras
There is a wealth of extras on the Blu-ray disc, the most important of them being extended footage integrated into the episodes. There are over 10 featurettes that you can watch, varying from bloopers, to behind-the-scenes documentaries, and even a humorous music video that presents us with grisly facts about dismembering the human body. Exclusive to the Blu-ray disc is a 3D version of the final 'Ring of Fire' battle sequence which, while I don't have the equipment to use it, have heard great things about. Curse technology and how it always makes me feel dated. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is out now on Blu-ray.