Ok, my official review:
Western cinema has become stagnant. Too long have we sat through ridiculous and repetitive screenplays oozed out onto screen. I have seen at least four to five horror movie remakes this year, with an entire slew of them creeping into the horizon already. It’s sickening for someone who wants to see something original, who wants to see something great, and who wants to see something worth remembering. It’s funny that those are the only words King Leonidas tells his Spartan comrade to say to his people, his kingdom, when he returns: “Remember us.”
The film 300 is a visceral experience that pans a sordid tale of blood, mayhem, honor, valor, courage, and various mutants. It’s quite a ride. The story, if you know anything about Greek history, is about 300 Spartan’s that gave their lives holding off the Persian horde of the God-King Xerxes. That’s it. No overarching plotlines, no hidden subplots, just guys getting down and dirty with their swords and spears (and that sentence sounded a lot more homoerotic than I wanted it to, oh well). It was originally a comicbook penned by Frank Miller, and was adapted by Zack Synder as a movie.
The look of the film is just stunning. It’s like watching a painting come to life. The actors, computer effects, camera work, and even music blend together to seamlessly that every person in the theater is completely entranced. To watch the Spartan men slaughter the Persian’s completely should be something you turn away from. I found myself not able to stop watching. You have to see it to believe it. The world literally pops off the screen.
Considering popping, Gerald Butler brings the King Leonidas completely to life. He’s a morally complex character who deals only in the god-given truths of mankind: honor, valor, courage, and humility. You really believe he could command an army of 300 Spartans to give their lives for their country. You believe that they love every minute of it. Gerald Butler belts out glorious line after line and you’re behind him. You’re right there with him, you would die for him. The other actors, while many in very thankless roles, did an astounding job of keeping their rather cheesy lines of dialog fierce and strong. It took a heavy cast to carry this script, and they pulled it off beautifully. Even down to Rodrigo Santoro, who played the feminine and laughable Xerxes, executed an amazing sense of poise and gracefulness to his character (even if he had the most laughable lines in the movie).
There is no way to describe 300 without saying words like: “Kick Ass!” “See it again!” “WOW!” Those small but beefy words are much like the content of 300 as well. It might be small in some areas (like story and character development), but the areas it does excel at are worth watching alone. Don’t let the critics turn you off to this movie, it’s something you have to see for yourself.
Remember us, indeed Leonidas. This is one movie I won’t forget for a long, long time.