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Image and video hosting by TinyPic Cast: Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, John Hannah, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, Nick E. Tarabay, Viva Bianca, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Jai Courtney, Antonio Te Maioha, Craig Parker, Erin Cummings

Director: Grant Hill

Genre: TV Action/Adventure

Year: 2009

Rating: TV-MA

Betrayed by the Romans. Forced into slavery. Reborn as a Gladiator. The classic tale of the Republic’s most infamous rebel comes alive in the graphic and visceral new series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Torn from his homeland and the woman he loves, Spartacus is condemned to the brutal world of the arena where blood and death are primetime entertainment. But not all battles are fought upon the sands. Treachery, corruption, and the allure of sensual pleasures will constantly test Spartacus. To survive, he must become more than a man. More than a gladiator. He must become a legend.

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Some might think Spartacus is more for the male audience but if you look past some of the female nudity and dig a bit deeper you are going to find a story that is interesting enough for both males and females alike plus there's plenty of males I am sure the women will enjoy looking at as well. The story is well-written and it almost immediately draws you in and I found myself getting attached to the characters just as quickly. Make no mistake about it this is an adult series that is filled with nudity and violence but I found it to be a nice change of pace from the series that are on Television today that are aimed towards teenagers. The sets, costumes, and location settings are among the best of any show on TV and the use of CGI is fantastic, it is used to enhance the story and it does a terrific job at doing so. The cast is amazing, Andy Whitfield, is mesmerizing as Spartacus, and his character is at times often bold, intense, heart-warming, and unapologetic. Lucy Lawless has a supporting role as the wife of Batiatus who is having an affair with sexy gladiator Crixus, played to perfection by Manu Bennett. This is a terrific adult series similar to "Rome" or "Tudors" but I felt it was much better than the both of those. As I was writing this review I found out that Andy Whitfield is now stepping down from his role as Spartacus to resume his cancer treatments, I am sure this is a sad day for everyone involved as well as for fans of the show. No one knows if the show will continue without him or not but this has to be another reason to pick up Season One on DVD now. I wish Andy the best of luck during his battle.

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The Four-Disc Set is available on DVD and Blu-ray and each comes packed with Special Features that include:

Gladiator Camp, History Rewritten, Make-up Effects, The Hole And more!

Audio Commentaries

Episodes with Enhanced Digital Effects

Behind-The-Scenes Footage

Bloopers

Trailers

You can order the DVD Set HERE and the Blu-ray Set HERE.

Released by Starz / Anchor Bay

***** Out Of *****