Product Details

• Actors: Karen McDougal, Lisa Dergan, Olga Sutulova, Julia Chicherina, Severina Kamugish Kemirimbe
• Directors: Timur Bekmambetov
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: New Concorde
• DVD Release Date: August 28, 2001
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 1.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005LC4Y
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,052 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Arena" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

In an age of Gladiators, the power that was Rome held its empire together with the might of its armies, the sweat and tears of its conquests, and the cheers and bloodlust of its citizens - glorified in the deadly spectacle of The Arena. Stolen from their homelands, the fiery Druid maiden Bodicia, exotic slave girl Jessemina, and the powerful barbarian Flavius, are pitted against each other as gladiators by the sadistic Roman Governor Timarchus. Banished by Caesar, Timarchus unleashes his frustration on his gladiators, staging extravagant spectacles of combat, orgy and death. In a violent world where only the strong survive, love and hate, life and death, are separated by an instant. Format: Color, DVD, NTSC Language: English Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.) Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Number of discs: 1 Rated: R (Restricted) Studio: New Concorde DVD Release Date: August 28, 2001 Run Time: 92 minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not up to the original, December 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Arena (DVD)

Unlike the reviewers before me I was not familiar with the actresses in this movie. I was familiar with the original low budget movie from the early seventies. I bought this DVD hoping for an improved movie. I was quite dissapointed. This movie followed a similar but different storyline. Some of the original dialog and camera angles were used. They found some nice halls to film the "Rome" locations in. The Arena looked purpose built and they actually had crowds of spectators. Unfortunately everything else was worse. The original had two great catfights plus three arena duels plus the final rebellion/escape. This movie only repeated the last two arena duels, one of which was shot at night so dark I was unable to see what was going on. The girls in the original movie all have quite distinct and interesting personalities. Not so in this one. The voiceover narration used intead of showing the story did not help either. I suggest you buy the original Roger Corman classic instead - The Arena (aka Naked Warriors) (1973) -- DVD. This review was bases on the DVD versions of both movies.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It could have been a lot better, December 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Arena (DVD)

The story was classic B-flick. The execution(no pun intended) was weak. The skin element was truly lacking here. Nudity was minimal or no long enough. The only love scene was not intense or engaging at all. A bath/shower scene should be added and better acting would have made a big difference. The fighting was okay, standard fighting, nothing special. Karen McDougal (who was great as PMOY 1998) was not acting here at all in this movie and she does not bare enough skin to make up for the lack of acting skills. A tighter script, more skin, stronger love scene and better dialogue would have made this into a truly worthy flick.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a very entertaining film!, September 11, 2003

By 

michael b. hall (birmingham, alabama United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Arena (DVD)

I purchased this film on DVD even though I had read bad reviews of it, I was very surprised! I had none of the audio, nor visual problems, and had a very crisp and clear picture. I even tested it on a high definition TV, with outstanding clarity. I have never seen the original version shot in the 70's, but I intend to. First, Karen McDougal and Lisa Dergan both give fine performances for first time acting stints. the cinematography was well executed, and the film well paced, along with other fine acting of the foreign actors. The McDougal/ Dergan commentary/ interview is very nice and insiteful. Version reviewed is presented in widescreen format.
I disagree with the other reviewer's view on the nudity, it was not gratutitous, nor degrading, and fell in line with the story. Yes, there is some nudity, but to give a negative review just because there is not ENOUGH nudity is too harsh.
I give a thumbs up for "The Arena", and highly recommend this film for those who enjoyed "Amazon's and Gladiator's" a superior film of the same time period. Amazon.com ships very quickly, and safely, with excellent pricing!