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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9781589711297
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
ISBN: 1589711297
Label: Lions Gate
Languages: EnglishOriginal Language
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Lions Gate
Region Code: 1
Release Date: January 01, 2002
Running Time: 89 minutes
Studio: Lions Gate
Theatrical Release Date: 2001
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Average Rating: 
Rating: -
History buffs may burst a blood vessel at my 3 stars; and truly I'd like to split it right down the middle at 2 1/2 stars. Amazons and Gladiators is eye candy, nothing more. The feminist message of the words is belied by the costuming and every visual detail of the film, and historically it's a total mess--it takes place in 60 A.D., and at the end the voice over says something like "and the Empire would soon fall." Yeah, soon, where soon means some 400 years later; don't hold your breath. (Another reviewer called out "Caesar's" existence in 60 AD--but Caesar was a title and so there certainly would be A Caesar, although not Julius Caesar.) But as another reviewer has pointed out, you don't see a movie called Amazons and Gladiators and expect historical accuracy! Apparently what you DO see it for is soft core porn, at least in spots. Others have called the sex scenes gratuitous...I think they've got it backwards--the plot is gratuitous and the whole point of this is to watch attractive women romp, so to speak. And the gladiatorial battles? Cat fight! Really, nothing more need be said, except that the lead is a lovely woman who isn't a half bad actress. It might be nice to see her in an actual movie.
Rating:  -
A great movie, lots of action and a new twist to a old movie theme.
Rating: -
I found Amazons and Gladiators a very pleasant surprise. From its packaging I expected a sexploitation flick, in the manner of "women in prison" films but with swords and Romans instead of inmates and wardens. Understand, by the way, I'm not putting down WIP movies, there's a place for such guilty pleasures. But in Amazons and Gladiators, what I got was ever so much more.
Okay, this is obviously a low-budget film. Much of it takes place in the forest simply because, I'm sure, it cost no money to build the "set". None of the actors in A&G is ever going to win an Academy Award. Having said all that, however, Amazons and Gladiators is also obviously the product of talented, skilled people who've taken what they had to work with and crafted a pretty darn good little movie. The writing, direction, camera work, even the acting in this film are all surprisingly good.
The main character is Serena, who as a child has her mother murdered by the brutal Roman governor Marcus Crassius. Kidnapped into slavery as a dancer, ten years pass, her virginity is sold to a Roman Senator. Serena fights back against her rape, killing the Senator, then escapes along with devoted friend-since-childhood and fellow slave Briana and the captured Amazon leader Ione. Taken into the Amazons, trained as a warrior, in time Serena returns to kill Crassius. Captured again, she winds up a gladiator, fighting for the amusement of the people and the governor before finally getting her chance to face Crassius himself.
Not a blindingly original plot, but anything can be done well or poorly. This story stands or falls on our caring for the characters on-screen. Those characters may be a bit stock - the warrior traumatized as a child returning to wreak vengeance on her tormentor, the stern but loving teacher, the steadfast best friend, the evil and sexually degenerate bad guy/governor - but the characters themselves are so well-drawn, so believable, they rise above the stereotypes. We can, especially, become emotionally invested in Serena and her fate, root for her success, because she comes across as an admirable, decent, real person.
The cinematography in Amazons and Gladiators is quite nice. What sets exist might be a bit bare bones, but they're well-designed, well put-together, and get the job done. If the arena fight scenes don't exhibit Russell Crowe Gladiator level choreography, still they also get the job done. Yes, there's a certain amount of female nudity that is in some cases gratuitous. But hey, I **like** female nudity.
This is one of those films that proves "low-budget" doesn't have to mean "bad". Sometimes the lack of a serious budget forces moviemakers to be really inventive in compensation. Depending on the talent, skill level and commitment of the creators involved, you either rise to such a challenge or fall. Everyone involved with making Amazons and Gladiators rose.
It's hard not to like a movie that does so much with so little.
Rating:  -
I liked it.. it was a 'turn of your brain and enjoy' kinda movie. It wasn't totally gratutious and save for the guy she ended up with.. it was quite cool.
But just for the record... bathing was extensive in the 'Roman Empire' It was only after Rome fell that bathing fell into disrepute.
Rating: -
So says a captured Amazon who is brought before the Senator. She escapes with the help of kidnapped maiden Serena who stabs the Senator in the back with a candlestick. I'm not sure where the blade came from after the candle fell out, but you go along with it.
Serena was just a young child when her village was attacked by a bloodthirsty Roman General turned Governor. Her father was killed, her sister was kidnapped, and her mother's death rested on her shoulders. Her mother was hung from a tree and Serena was underneath her for support. With her bare feet she had to stand under her mother while hot coals were lit on the ground. Of course her mother died and she was taken away as a slave.
After her escape she rides and trains with the Amazons. Only then does she discover that her grandmother was a great Amazon warrior and she is prophesized to be even greater.
Well there is a lot of sexy costumes, but little sex. Oh there's a whole lot of female nudity for those of us who enjoy sex with our violoence. My favorite chick had no lines, but was only instructed to pour the bath water slowly. Check out the headlights on that little honey WOW!
Anyway there's a whole lot of fighting in this movie, in the woodds and in the gladiator arena. In the end Serena gets her revenge by fighting the governor himself in the arena. After her victory she makes her speech; "And if I hear that anymore women are abused in this town, I will come back and kill you all!"
This is not a great movie, but it's good enough to pop in the old DVD player every now and then.
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