Buy the DVD:

300

Directed by Zack Snyder and adapted from the graphic novel, 300 is an exhilarating, gory fight-fest that succeeds in being thoroughly entertaining while remaining a healthy distance away from complex plot and historical accuracy. The film centers around the very real Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans fought off an invading Persian army that vastly outnumbered them. From there, the film abandons history to adapt a more mythological tone. Suddenly, it's not just man vs. man, but Spartan men vs. Persian giants and mutated hunchbacks. In any other film, the addition of such boisterous, over the top characters would be ridiculous, but with 300, you get so wrapped up in the film, you don't mind the sudden existence of cyclopes; you just want to see a fight.

Much like that other Frank Miller inspired gore-fest, Sin City, 300 was filmed mostly in front of green screen. The result is breathtakingly beautiful cinematography that, much like Sin City, makes you feel like you're inside the comic book itself. The fight scenes are elegant and horrifying, the colors rich, the action of a Spartan running through an enemy, more a dance than a defense. You get drawn into the opulent but violent world from the first minute, and in time, you don't mind that the movie's just one long fight scene after another. In actuality, the added subplots that don't involve the dominant battle at Thermopylae feel unnecessary and tend to drag on.

If you're squeamish about excessive violence and prefer a film with depth, my advice would be to steer clear of 300. However, if you're looking to be thoroughly entertained, this adrenaline pumping testosterone fest is right for you.

Written by: Toni McIntyre

Reviewers Rating: 7.5
Reader's Rating: 7.12
Reader's Votes: 8

Rate It