 "'Those About To Die' review: Hollywood legend Anthony Hopkins' series is flawed, frustrating, fascinating")
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins-Court, Tom Hughes
Director: Roland Emmerich, Marco Kreuzpaintner
Language: English
Those About To Die is a name that should be enough for people to know what the show will be like. It’s sprawling and based against the backdrop of the Ancient Rome. A Gladiator-style setting where men and women revel in bloodthirst and violence. Here’s a show where survival is an must and death seems inevitable. Anthony Hopkins tries to infuse all his hideous demeanour and energy as he essays the role of a man named Vespasian. Writer Robert Rodat and Directors Roland Emmerich Marco Kreuzpaintner craft a series where bloodshed knows no bounds.
So what is the series all about? Going by what the internet has to say, Rome is the center of the Roman Empire and the wealthiest city in the world. Reliant on slave labor, the population – bored, restless and increasingly violent – is kept in line with free food, chariot racing and gladiator fights. This tale delves into the world of the games, characterized by bloodlust, greed, the pursuit of power and corruption. The races at Circus Maximus are controlled by four Patrician-owned corporations, the Blue, Red, White and Green factions.
For all the spectacle the series offers, the dialogues are little cliched and corny and one cameo by an alligator literally brings back the memories of Ashutosh Gowariker’s doomed period drama Mohenjo Daro. And how to forget Anil Sharma’s ode to this very world in Salman Khan’s Veer back in 2010? But this show isn’t as inept that gets swayed by the scale it offers. It does overstay its welcome but for anyone who’s gratified at the sight of monsters parading as men and turning into mean-killing machines, this could be unadulterated fun. For those connoisseurs who crave for craft and coherence, Those About To Die reeks of flaws that could leave them frustrated.
It’s hard to pinpoint Hopkins’s performance since he’s one of the greatest we have. It’s evident he has aged but still commands the screen with his brooding aura. The makers have created a world where nobody can be trusted and the only way to survive is have balls of steel. Rome was surely not built in a day, but could have been destroyed in a day going by the violence on display here.
Rating: 2.75 (out of 5 stars)
Those About To Die premiered on July 18, 2024, on Peacock with all 10 episodes, and internationally on Amazon Prime Video on July 19, 2024
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
