'Those About to Die' Review: Dull Anthony Hopkins starrer is not worth the hype
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Robert Rodat, who was nominated for Academy Award for writing Steven Spielberg's war epic 'Saving Private Ryan' in the late 90s, has adapted Daniel P Mannix's popular 1958 book 'Those About to Die' (republished as 'The Way of the Gladiator') to create a ten-part series for Peacock.
The sword-and-sandal TV series is set in the cutthroat world of ancient Rome's gladiatorial competitions. Through gore violence and gritty politics of ancient Rome, it depicts the corrupt sports created to entertain the masses.
'Those About to Die' lacks notable characters
Prior to its premiere, the series heavily marketed Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins as the lead. But those watching the series primarily for him are in for a major disappointment.
For the major part of the series, his role is relegated to the background, while the lesser-known artists come to the spotlight and miserably fail to carry the weight of a series with such grandeur.
Hopkins's limited role as Emperor Vespasian honestly feels like a betrayal as the promoters of the series go for bait-and-switch tactics to draw the audience to a series featuring mostly unpopular faces with only a few familiar ones.
In fact, the show centers on Tenax, played by Iwan Rheon, best known for playing villainous Ramsay Bolton in 'Game of Thrones'.
Rheon delivers a solid performance bogged down by the poorly written character that fails to leave a lasting impression. The rest of the cast, with the majority of faces we don't recognize, lack depth in their roles, making it difficult for viewers to invest in their arcs.
The subplot involving Cala, played by Sara Martins, seems interesting at first. This character's fight to reunite with her children brings the much-needed emotional gravitas to the series but the show's overall mediocrity overshadows it.
'Those About to Die' is a disappointing attempt in historical genre
'Those About to Die' seems to have drawn inspiration from 'Game of Thrones', attempting too hard to replicate its essence yet failing in a predictable and lackluster narrative.
Its attempt at capturing the essence of the brutal sport and politics of the era comes out too generic and offers nothing we haven't already seen.
The repetitive use of Latin terms and complex Roman names to add authenticity comes out as rather confusing to the audience, diverting them from the plot. Even for viewers ready to put in this much amount of effort, the outcome isn't quite satisfying.
While the gladiatorial combat and chariot races offer brief moments of excitement, they often feel disjointed from the rest of the narrative.
We can't deny that the series does offer some visually entertaining action scenes, but the lack of emotional weight behind those scenes makes them forgettable.
'Those About to Die' is a disappointing attempt to recreate the magic of historical epics and political dramas.
Neither the plot, nor any of the characters leave a lasting impression, and thus, the series fails to match up to the hype. We suggest you instead wait for Gladiator 2 if you're craving an engaging depiction of ancient Rome and gladiatorial combat.
'Those About to Die' is now streaming on Peacock