ROME

HBO Miniseries Review: “ROME”. Critics gave it an 84% users a 100%. Rated: TV-MA with Series 1 & 2 having a total of twenty-two 1 hr episodes and an IMDb of 8.7/10. Cast: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon, James Purefoy, Ian McNeice, Coral Amiga and Lindsay Duncan……just to name a few.

Two Roman soldiers are caught up in the historical events of an era that included the death of a republic and the birth of an empire. They encounter war, political intrigue, assassinations, family tragedies and more, all while surrounded by historical figures such as Gaius Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Gaius Octavian and Cleopatra.

Rome (Not to be confused with Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire or Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire) is a British-American-Italian historical drama television series created by John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller. The show's two seasons were broadcast on HBO, BBC Two, and Rai 2 between 2005 and 2007. They were later released on DVD and Blu-ray. Rome is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome's transition from Republic to Empire.

The series features a sprawling cast of characters, many of whom are based on real figures from historical records, but the leads are ultimately two soldiers named Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, who find their lives intertwined with key historical events. The series received much media attention from the start, and was honored with numerous awards and nominations in its two-season run. The series was filmed in various locations, but most notably in the Cinecittà studios in Italy.

This series was recommended to me because I was a major GoT’s fan. I will say from the start this is no Game Of Thrones, however its the next best thing to it. Over the last 4 days I binged all 22 one hour episodes and couldn’t get enough. For some reason HBO canceled season 3 and after watching season 1 & 2 I am definitely wanting to see more.

The story revolves around the time Julius Ceasar conquers Gaul, and the subsequent years following that (Ceasar's rise to dictator). The series delves into historical and archaeological records, with a dash of artistic licensing to create an environment that seems so real.

The production of this series is quite breathtaking. It seems like they took into account so many of the variables; costumes, jewelry, architecture, religious practices, mannerism, military units, social venues, politics, class structure, etc to bring the empire back to life in the 21st century. They went as far as to train the extras portraying the Roman soldiers in boot camp fashion. All were to sleep in tents outside and were provided with no modern amenities.

This series has something for everyone with a strong stomach and inclination towards the graphic. The show is going for authenticity. This is not Rome seen through the eyes of 21st century people, but rather through they eyes of 1st century BC Romans. It has action, graphic violence, sex, incest, betrayal, murder, politics, family bonding and war. I just can't begin to describe just how authentic the show feels and how hypnotically captivating it is to watch (especially in High Definition).

The series can be found on HBO On-Demand, and Amazon Prime with subscriptions or YouTube, Google Play Vudu & ITunes for a cost per episode.

If you are like me and missing Game Of Thrones, you can get your fix by watching Rome. Check it out and see for yourself.