300 (2007) by The Critical Movie Critics

Movie Review: 300 (2007)


Where do I begin? After all the initial movie reviews and hype surrounding the opening of 300 what else is there to say?

Let me begin, by saying the movie definitely lives up to the fervor surrounding it. You want action? You got it. You want crazy, vivid battle scenes? You got it. You want ripped, hot and sexy actors (for the men-who-like-men and ladies) and actresses (for the ladies-who-like-ladies and men)? You got it. Basically, everything you could want it all rolled up and packaged nicely into a two hour film.

As you know, or will know now, 300 is movie adaptation of a graphic novel by none other than Frank Miller. The novel is loosely based on the real Battle of Thermopylae and inspired by the movie “The 300 Spartans.” It chronicles the futile stand of King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartan warriors against the hordes of Persia led by Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro). This stand ultimately wins the war as it provided the time for the Greek city-states to assemble their armies and navies and repel the advancing Persians. But enough about history — lets talk about the movie.

Visually, the movie is shot in a similar fashion as “Sin City” (another Frank Miller adaptation). The lighting is muted, scenery is glossy and spectacular and intense detail is spotlighted on areas the director wants your eyes to travel. It is evident 300 has spent countless hours being edited and altered on a Macintosh to ensure the perfect dramatic effect has been placed at exacting moments and proper angles. I can’t see a single scene that doesn’t appear to be CGI shaped in some fashion — even if it didn’t necessarily need it.

Action-wise, this movie is filled to the brim. Aside from ten to twenty minutes worth of backdrop in Sparta involving Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) and the council, everything else is violence. I’ve seen it said elsewhere (or at least I think I have), but without a doubt, a tightly choreographed dance of death and dismemberment await all those that go to see this. The scenes are extravagant and overloaded. Yet, through it all, the blood and gore is presented in an almost comic fashion. The blood looks like paint droplets and its’ spray and splatter seems to move in unison with the mayhem all about.

The characters, for the most part, are interchangeable. After all, Sparta men are warriors and there is little to discern one from another. It is rather disconcerting to see that everyone within the city are absolutely fantastic to look at. Every man is pumped up with chiseled features. The women are all slim and sleek with wonderfully long legs. If only I was born a Spartan (of course I would have been cast aside as all unworthy children were)! As expected, there isn’t much dialogue, yet the few words spoken by Leonidas are captivating and insightful — hell, he’s trying to keep 300 men motivated and ready to battle 100,000 foes. He’d better have something good to say!

For the faint of heart and those who cannot escape reality, 300 is not the movie for you. Every scene is over-the-top and exaggerated and its done purely for visual effect. The speeches about Sparta are beyond blusterous. And, I’m no history major, but I’m guessing there is very little in the way of historical fact here. But it all works. It all works very good. Kudos to Zack Snyder, the director, for presenting us with a well painted portrait.

Critical Movie Critic Rating:
5 Star Rating: Fantastic

5

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The Critical Movie Critics

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.


'Movie Review: 300 (2007)' have 5 comments

  1. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 16, 2007 @ 1:56 pm Ray

    I found the movie to be boisterous and full of itself. This was just an exercise in glorifying gore and decapitations.

  2. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 17, 2007 @ 10:06 am General Disdain

    I agree on both points. Doesn’t mean the movie wasn’t a successful endeavor though, now does it?

  3. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 18, 2007 @ 7:28 pm Corpus Cannabis

    Zack Snyder’s 300 begins with thunder, blood-red lettering followed by the overblown 300 slices, dices and decimates into music video styled computer generated monster mash with no sign of intelligent life sign. This adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel is no where close to what Sin City was.

    One can discern what is happening on the screen, though it doesn’t make much sense except as some grand visual dramatisation of kill fantasy. Everything is phony in this movie, memorable sights abound, arrows soaring in the sky, Persians plummeting off a cliff and some fantastic visual display of dead villagers festooned to a tree.

    It’s sad after all the hype, 300 is humor-less and so utterly over the top with no flavor any realism. I give 300 4 piles of dog poop.

  4. The Critical Movie Critics

    November 26, 2007 @ 8:11 am Atomic Popcorn

    I loved this movie, well done adaptation.

  5. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 24, 2010 @ 10:03 pm guchi

    If you can’t enjoy a movie like this you’re quite possibly full of yourself or belong in a PG rated theatre.

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