MOVIE REVIEW: 300

300 Spartans against thousands upon thousands of Persian troops--sound far fetched? Maybe? But to any red blooded male who enjoys action and blood spurting-who cares. According to Greek philosophers King Leonidas and his Spartans fought back the tide of the Persian Empire with only 300 well trained soldiers. As the story goes of course all of the Spartans were killed but they died so valiantly that it inspired all of Greece to unite against the Persians defeating them and their God-King Xerxes. Did I just give something away--not really. If you are reading this and thinking--damnit he gave it away. Don't worry I didn't. Gerard Butler as King Leonidas destroys as many Persians just with a meaty stare than even with his sword.
King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) comes from a long tradition of Spartan warriors. The first fifteen minutes show how hardcore these guys really are. Apparently from birth if the kid doesn't look strong enough they chuck them onto a garbage heap and leave them for dead. They have extreme conditioning as children and taught to kill. So, yeah, 300 hard chargers could definitely hold their own against a shitload of enemies--especially those really tough Orc looking creatures called the Immortals. Basically watching this film was like reading the Frank Miller comic of the same name. You have the great voice over by warrior poet Delios (David Wenham) who sets the tone for the legend of King Leonidas and his men. The women are gorgeous especially the Queen, (Lena Heady) not to mention she has herself a badass moment about halfway through, proving the mettle of the Spartan women. The dark overtones and smooth dialogue assure me that director Zack Snyder is very comfortable in this genre and when I heard that he will be taking on Alan Moore's Watchmen next I feel a nice wave of excitement. The cinematography is gorgeous, the CGI backdrops are flawless. Sin City was an incredible looking film and it certainly paved the way but 300 really has taken this style of filmmaking to the next level and beyond. It really is a virtual comic book.
So go out and see this one--see it in IMAX if you can, I hope to do so myself in the next week or two. Check out Frank Miller's graphic novel too--you can really see the influence of the novel in this film it really is uncanny. I really look forward to watching Zack Snyder's career blossom according to IMDB this is only his second feature film so congrats Zack --excellent work. I can't wait for Watchmen.

Grade: 5 Buckets