Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) was born a slave although when sold to Batiatus (Peter Ustinov) he became a gladiator. Life was mildly improved although fighting to the death for the entertainment of the wealthy is a rough way to make a living. Spartacus gains new perspective on life when he falls in love with the slave girl Varinia (Jean Simmons) and develops a thirst for freedom.

Many have called this a flawed masterpiece and I couldn't agree more. The story is captivating with marvelous sets, cinematography, and acting although the second act is poisonously slow and nearly ruins the film. Fortunately the third act picks up the pace and culminates in a satisfying conclusion.

Video Highlights

• AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Clean print with bold color palette
• High-frequency detail information sorely lacking
• Prevalent edge enhancement
• Adequate shadow detail with inky blacks

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Front-loaded soundtrack
• Suitable ambience given its age
• Inconsistent dialog
• Decent dynamics highlighted by Alex North's wonderful score

The color palette looks outstanding but the overall HD experience is very disappointing due to the heavy-handed digital processing. Fine detail is sorely lacking and the excessive edge enhancement isn't required on Blu-ray.

Bonus Materials

• Deleted Scenes (SD)
• Archival Interviews (SD)
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage (SD)
• 5 Vintage Featurettes (SD)
• Image Gallery (SD)
• BD Live Enabled

Besides the dreadfully slow second act, I enjoy this film. Douglas is outstanding as the hero and the sets and costume design are fabulous. Sadly, Universal's team of video engineers overprocessed video leaves a lot to be desired. Buyer beware.

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Release Date: May 25, 2010
Studio: Universal

Movie: 7/10
Picture: 5/10
Sound: 7/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Panamax M5400PM power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics