Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller's acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.
This movie is pretty much worth going to see just because of how it looks visually. It was so well put together from a sight standpoint. The fight scenes are also very well choreographed. Gerard Butler was awesome as King Leonidas. His delivery (while blatantly overdramatic most of the time) was great and his occasional sarcastic comments made you laugh your ass off. Unfortunately, after you get past the visual feel of the movie and the main character, there really wasn't much else. The movie lacked the necessary flow that make movies like Gladiator or Braveheart classics. There was too much dead space because of the lacking flow and you find yourself asking historical questions that, for me, make me end up laughing at the movie instead of taking it seriously. Were the Persians card carrying members of Mr. T fan club? Were the Persians basically a bunch of circus freaks that fought wars with the 10 foot tall king, the crab clawed man, the charging rhinos that looked like they were borrowed from The Lord Of The Rings, and the turncoat hunchback? Can anyone say Sparta or Spartans without yelling? Did the Spartans really think that the best way to go in to battle was with bright red banana hammocks and capes? . . . . . no protective armor? . . . . . . or even a top for that matter? Anywho, I digress.
The movie was by no means horrible. It was pretty watchable, but nowhere near the level of great epic classics. I would lukewarmly recommend people checking it out based on its phenomenal visual appearance, but be warned that the story might bore you a bit.
