The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen with the blood, thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, it depicts the titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint. And moviemaking with a cutting edge.
Like Sin City before it, 300 brings Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's graphic novel vividly to life. Gerard Butler (Beowulf and Grendel, The Phantom of the Opera) radiates pure power and charisma as Leonidas, the Grecian king who leads 300 of his fellow Spartans (including David Wenham of The Lord of the Rings, Michael Fassbender, and Andrew Pleavin) into a battle against the overwhelming force of Persian invaders. Their only hope is to neutralize the numerical advantage by confronting the Persians, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), at the narrow strait of Thermopylae.
More engaging than Troy, the tepid and somewhat similar epic of ancient Greece, 300 is also comparable to Sin City in that the actors were shot on green screen, then added to digitally created backgrounds. The effort pays off in a strikingly stylized look and huge, sweeping battle scenes. However, it's not as to-the-letter faithful to Miller's source material as Sin City was. The plot is the same, and many of the book's images are represented just about perfectly. But some extra material has been added, including new villains (who would be considered "bosses" if this were a video game, and it often feels like one) and a political subplot involving new characters and a significantly expanded role for the Queen of Sparta (Lena Headey). While this subplot by director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) and his fellow co-writers does break up the violence, most fans would probably dismiss it as filler if it didn't involve the sexy Headey. Other viewers, of course, will be turned off by the waves of spurting blood, flying body parts, and surging testosterone. (The six-pack abs are also relentless, and the movie has more and less nudity--more female, less male--than the graphic novel.) Still, as a representation of Miller's work and as an ancient-themed action flick with a modern edge, 300 delivers. --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
wish I'd known what to expect:
I didn't know much of what to expect--just that it was a historical war movie. I tell you this so you'll understand why I was underwhelmed for the first quarter of the movie. The monochromatic filming, mostly in sepia tones, but then occasionally in blues, got pretty irritating. And then there was the Heroic Music and the Ominous Music trying to get me all excited or worried about characters I didn't even know yet. And that was really irritating. It starts off with voice-over narration and a... more info
I loved this movie:
I originally had to view this movie for a history class on history on film. This movie blew me away. You have to keep in mind that it is based on a comic book so the coloring and graphics are going to look exactly like a graphic novel, which is actually one of the best parts because it is so unique. The movie is a little gory but that's because it is depicting one of the most famous battles of Ancient Greece. The acting is amazing. Also, while you are watching it, you can see a lot of intentional parallels... more info
Great Visuals, Over-the-Top Performances:
"300 - The Limited Collector's Edition" is a deluxe repackaging of the feature film with mountains of bonus extras. The plot focuses on the Battle of Thermopylae, when armies of the Persian Empire were hot to conquer Sparta. The macho Spartans have been indoctrinated since birth to never surrender, never retreat. King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) leads 300 of his bravest men to lure the Persians into a narrow gorge where the enemy's huge numbers will be of no advantage. However, traitors are working to... more info
Lame lame lame:
I went to this movie with few expectations. From the previews, I expected no more than a random, brutal, and stylized action flick, but it still didn't impress. The movie replaced half of the would-be action and violence with a steriotypical story about a soldier giving his life for his family. The movie shoulv'e at least mellowed out the overly-dramatic and soap-opera like emotional dialogue, because it didn't work out very well with the overall presentation of the film. As far as the stylized action goes,... more info
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