Those About to Die

Alright; many of the reviews are correct. The CGI was ordinary, just let it go. The acting is pretty good, the perspective highly entertaining. The plot quite original and engrossing. Do not quite understand the hate on this one. Gladiator; it ain't. Actually liked the plot more than Spartacus.

Oddly enough, Hopkins is somewhat out of place, probably got paid a packet by being there, pretty flat showing by him in all honesty. Not familiar with the rest of the cast, the characterisation of Vespasian's two sons was great, they pulled it off beautifully. Iwan Rheon was cast well, as Tenax I was unsure whether to love him or hate him. Give it a go folks. It's far from the worst thing you'll ever invest your time in.

Is the show perfect? No. Is it entertaining? Heck yes!

I've seen complaints that 'it's not as good as hbo's Rome'. My brothers and sisters, nothing will ever be as good as Rome, simply because it was an era of terrific shows, masterpieces of golden age, with a gigantic budget that ultimately led to cancellation.

I've also seen complaints about the CGI. Yes, I agree, in a couple of scenes it was super clunky. But all the rest? Come on!!! Chariot races looked spectacular, the city looked spectacular, wide shots were beautiful. Even animals looked ok - the last rampage of a lion was terrifying, I don't care what you say, it looked and sounded real.

Interior design was masterful - those marbles! Colors! Burning lamps and flames! Emperor palace rooms! Gods, it looked amazing and DEFINITELY not cheap.

Some claim that 'it was all CGI'. Nah. There were beautiful sets built, houses, streets of Rome, and underbelly of Circus Maximus. From wide shots to little details, it was - dare I say - almost as immersive as 'Rome'.

Iwan Rheon is terrific as always. What a fascinating character Tenax is! Love love love. Sara Martin is excellent. Domician is a delightfully creepy guy, Scorpius is hilarious (up to a point), spanish horse carers are adorable.

Yes, the script is clunky here and there. Especially in the first episode. So please give 'Those about to die' a chance and stay for the second episode - and further. It gets better and better with each episode, with an excellent, excellent last one.

Maybe it's not for the highest of taste, but hey - it's a great, meta, plebeian entertainment for those who want to be entertained.

Well, I don't know what to tell you, maybe it was just the fact they Iwan Rheon played (one of) the protagonist(s) but this all reminded me a lot of Game of Thrones -- and frankly, I enjoyed it a lot. Apart from some unnecessary deaths and romance plots that had me surprised, devastated, and confused, Those About To Die is a really good watch. I love love love the subtle narration at the beginning and the end and I would have loved some more throughout the episodes but I'll take what I can get here honestly. I really appreciated how the last two, and especially the finale, pulled together so many strings and left a clear cut plan as a set up for the next season. I really hope we'll get one and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Started off slow, some of the scenes seemed unnecessary and somewhat poorly written, although as it progressed I became more and more embroiled in the characters and drama. I'm most definitely the target audience, as I love shows based on Ancient Rome and violence. I'd suggest giving the series a chance to at least over half way to fully appreciate the character development. I can't wait for season two now, I really hope they actually continue it. Some of the reviews claim it's tacky/cringe/a-historical, which at some points it can be, but if you're interested in Ancient Rome I'd definitely suggest watching! A strong 7-8/10 for me.

Those About to Die reminds me very much of a BBC historical drama wrapped up with a 2010s Prince of Persia style Hollywood movie.

Some of the acting and dialogue is a tad painful to watch and the CGI is very ropey. The scenery itself is quite stunning, but, as a soon and chariots start racing, the often used panning out shot has the riders looking like Duracell Bunnies with whips.

The giant white lion, although impressive in size, is again underwhelming in it's overall appearance.

I did enjoy parts of the story but in general was left frustrated and irritated by alot of the character interaction.

A series with a lower first season budget like Vikings did alot better of a job drawing the audience into a historical timeline. Whilst adding drama, humour and excitement.

Not bad but could have been alot better.