Those About to Die: Rise or Die

July 20, 2024 12:45 AM - Season 1, Episode 1

The elite plot against rioters; horses are sold for the Roman Games; an African family is kidnapped.
posted by TheophileEscargot (6 comments total)

Seems like good lurid fun. Pretty much by the numbers so far. I liked the way the racing chariots are pretty lightweight, rather than the ornate ceremonial chariots the movies usually use.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 1:22 AM on July 20

Guardian: Anthony Hopkins’s Rome epic is disgustingly effective.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 3:34 AM on July 20

Pure nonsense. I love it.
posted by prismatic7 at 4:18 AM on July 20 [1 favorite]

Oh God, this is so bad! It was obvious it was going to be from about five minutes in and there was nothing in the rest of the episode to make it better. Is there any chance Anthony Hopkins is going to last till the end of the season or is he just there to give it the patina of class on the advertising before they kill him off to save on his fee? I guess it worked in that I turned it on but the script, the CGI, the actors all standing still most of the time to accommodate the CGI means I won't be back.
posted by biffa at 10:04 AM on July 20 [1 favorite]

The acting is kind of actively bad. I wonder if this is an AI Hopkins and it sucks ass or something.

Might keep watching, though. Love me the sandals and gladii, er gladiusesuses.

If you are interested in gladiuses, I thought that "Collections: The Journey of the Roman Gladius and Other Swords" [ACOUP/ Bret Devereaux] is excellent.
posted by porpoise at 9:11 PM on July 22

Isn't the plural gladioli?
posted by biffa at 8:21 AM on July 23 [2 favorites]