Responsible history reporting

'Roman gladiators' link to York skeleton find.

This should be interesting, when it's properly published. I wonder whether I can get reception good enough to watch the documentary...

(And I wonder what the gladiator specialist of my remote acquaintance will have to say about this.)

Responsible history reporting

'Roman gladiators' link to York skeleton find.

This should be interesting, when it's properly published. I wonder whether I can get reception good enough to watch the documentary...

(And I wonder what the gladiator specialist of my remote acquaintance will have to say about this.)

Prince of Persia

I've been to see the Prince of Persia film.

In many respects, questions of its casting aside (Brother #2 really should have been playing the lead. With a face like his, he's wasted as a secondary character. Just saying.), this is a terrible film. It makes very little sense, its portrayal of female characters is not quite as bad as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the dialogue and performance, with a handful of exceptions, is lackluster.

On the other hand, it has very pretty men, horses, camels, some really nice scenery, excellent if overwrought special effects, and more implausible action scenes than you can shake a stick at, which makes it very entertaining.

Ben Kingsley as Nizam turned in the best performance of the film, which, given the material he had to work with, is quite remarkable. Jake Gyllenhal manages to chew scenery with slight conviction, and his female opposite, Gemma Arterton, is sadly hampered by a script which renders her character as a stereotype of a "feisty princess." And the stunning Toby Kebbell deserves more to work with.

But I was entertained, and will be looking for films with Mr. Kebbell in them in future.

Prince of Persia

I've been to see the Prince of Persia film.

In many respects, questions of its casting aside (Brother #2 really should have been playing the lead. With a face like his, he's wasted as a secondary character. Just saying.), this is a terrible film. It makes very little sense, its portrayal of female characters is not quite as bad as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the dialogue and performance, with a handful of exceptions, is lackluster.

On the other hand, it has very pretty men, horses, camels, some really nice scenery, excellent if overwrought special effects, and more implausible action scenes than you can shake a stick at, which makes it very entertaining.

Ben Kingsley as Nizam turned in the best performance of the film, which, given the material he had to work with, is quite remarkable. Jake Gyllenhal manages to chew scenery with slight conviction, and his female opposite, Gemma Arterton, is sadly hampered by a script which renders her character as a stereotype of a "feisty princess." And the stunning Toby Kebbell deserves more to work with.

But I was entertained, and will be looking for films with Mr. Kebbell in them in future.