It was visually stunning, but other than that a bit of a going nowhere plot.

I did infact wonder what the point was.

bah.

Much worse than I expected, really. The hype is as big as the disappointment. I went to the movies hoping to be entertained but I founded myself bored and just kept looking at my watch for every 2 minutes. The dialogs are awfully written and the characters are not appealing. By the middle of it I was already sick of seeing Leonidas screaming, blood splitting and man fighting and that’s all the movie is about and, once you get tired of it, there’s nothing left to be enjoyed.

Gorgeous, gorgeous movie. Every fold of cloth and every ripple of muscle could not have been used to better visual effect. But I think I am destined to just not get the whole Frank Miller ultraviolence thing. Fine, art is supposed to make you uncomfortable, whatever. But the majority of the battle in this movie is just so… gross. Each pumping, sundered vein is treated by the camera with as much reverence as all that cloth and muscle. After a certain number of improbable blood sprays, you have to wonder what point the artist is trying to make.

I repeat: I just don’t get it.

I went with my mother and we expected action, violence and a good story. My mother’s comment at the end was that she wasn’t completely sure whether it was intended for male or female viewers as a comment on all the eye candy. We both enjoyed the cinematography as well.

It’s a damn shame this film has generated so much crap about the ‘politics’ – for goodness sake, it’s a fantasy-historic bit of entertainment!

300 is the story of the battle of Thermopylae (the ‘Hot Gates’ mentioned in the movie) as told through a narrator – remember, the Greeks loved their myths (as do I!) so why pit your heroes against mere men, when you can have them victorious against Immortals and monsters and mutants?

The story is bloody and gory, and yet not as much as I’d been led to expect. This is a war film, after all, but the blood flying towards the screen near the start is so obviously CGI that it’s symbolic rather than horrific. I can understand why some people thought the fighting went on too long, but I found it so… balletic, almost, that it was almost hypnotising in slow motion.

And no – I wasn’t just ogling the raw tonnage of naked male flesh! Fair play to the actors, they’ve all obviously put serious effort into buffing up, but it’s not my sexual ideal. Rather, it brought to mind the idealised Greek sculptures. And also helped stop all this running-around-in-pants looking as ridiculous as common sense suggests it should – but doesn’t!

On the downside, the characters are largely just that – characters in someone’s heroic narration. The plot is small and uncomplicated, although the cuts back to Sparta and the politics keeping the 300 from receiving reinforcements at least vary the pace. The gallows-humour appealed to me, although the ‘Death for Glory, Fight for Freedom’ message (applicable to any nation, surely?) is a bit heavy-handed – not surprising, ‘cos it’s kind of the point of Dilios’ (the narrator) tale. And talking of him – who let David Wenham do his silly Van Helsing nasel faux-English accent!?

Overall, though, I found this film oddly pretty – it might not be everyone’s idea of art, but freeze any frame and it was visually ‘oooh!’ for me.

Which is why the political, etc nonsense annoys the heck out of me. The comic was written in 1998, loosely (!) based on historical events. If you’re reading anything overtly offensive into this film – I have to suggest it’s in your own mind rather than that of the film makers. After all, if I was making a politic statement where one side was fighting for freedom, and the other was an insideous all-conqueuring empire… Well. The only empire-building I can think of in the modern world is lead by generals McDonalds, Microsoft and Coca-Cola…!

I thought it was a really good film. I love the fact that it was filmed in a way that you could picture certain scenes as if they were in a comic book.

It frustrated me at the movie that people were complaining about the “monsters and aliens.” It wasn’t like that. The story was told like how any other ancient Greek would tell a story. They would make it mythical and use lots of exaggeration.

Some parts were a little long, but overall I loved it.

Mostly because you go to movies like this—and so do I. I love trailers like 300 had going for it. But as much as I’d like to like this film it didn’t quite do it for me. The battle scenes, although compelling at times, were too many and too ridiculous in the end. Yes, the visuals were very compelling (loved ‘em) but the movie was basically lame.

An interesting part about the film was the potrayal of the Persians riding in on their mutant beasts (modern day SUVs?) with slave armies while the God/King was engaged in corrupt hedonistic pleasures. Seemed like a reverse metaphor for the Iraq war—with the Spartans coming off as mostly reasoned and rigtheous. I’m not sure if this was an intentional comment on modern events but it seemed so.

Oh – and the crunch guitar battle scenes were what I was most looking forward to (I’m a sucker for it when well executed) and unfortunately by the time they arrived I was already battle weary and ready for some decent drama to tie the whole thing together. Damn you 300!

I’m sorry, everyone who likes it.

Dumbest. Movie. Ever.

I absolutely loved this film, even if perhaps because I went in expecting the worse. First, Zack Snyder is also known for “Sin City”, a film which I have been repeatedly told NOT to watch (and therefore have not). Second, all the hype got me concerned that the movie would not in fact be any good (I don’t usually agree with movie critics). Nonetheless, my husband and I drove out to the IMAX to see the film (which had already been sold out opening day for the following two days). I was hopeful though. I have seen and enjoyed several of Gerard Butler’s (King Leonidas) movies (Dracula 2000, Attila the Hun, Phantom of the Opera). Even within the first few minutes I was not disappointed. The artistry of the film itself was compelling enough for the viewer (not to mention feeling the rumbling of the IMAX theater seats). I felt the characters were well presented both in emotion and stage presence. The wardrobe was phenomenal and most of the chosen actors all had strong edgy appearances. The storyline was strong and emotional, building a polarized view of the Spartans and the Persians. Obviously the movie itself is not completely historically accurate but is enjoyable all the same.

On a personal note there are a few things that, now looking back, I would have preferred a bit different. First, the initial image of King Leonidas as a child gives a very violent impression of the man who when later seen is much more subdued. More specifically the image of a kid beating (and presumably killing) another child was perhaps a bit too violent when trying to portray a character the audience needs to sympathize with. Secondly, while Lena Headey (Queen Gorgo) is a beautiful woman and terrific actress, I am not sure if I felt her physical appearance really manifested itself well in this particular storyline. Surrounded by strong and heroic men, her appearance seemed rather soft (as it was perhaps meant to be) while her characters words seemed rather strong. I perhaps would have expected someone a little more statuesque and striking. I feel much the same about Dominic West’s character (Theron); He seemed more humorous than he did traitorous. I don’t believe either his appearance or voice was appropriate for the character. Thirdly, I thought the character Ephialtes (Andrew Tiernan) was too grotesque for a sympathetic audience. Furthermore, he was a very flat character and I feel the film could have been more rounded if they and used his character a little more diversely. Finally, enjoyable as the overall film was, I was a bit unsettled (although not surprised) by the extreme polarization of the Spartans and the Persians, the latter being overly villanized and the former overly romanticized. One doesn’t have to look too deeply into the psychology of the western-world to understand such a polarization.

There were however, also many things about the film that I personally loved. First and most obviously, is the films artistry. Its combination with a historical setting really brought the story to life. Second, is the emphasized status of Spartan women (which in historical comparison to their Greek neighbors was virtually equal to Spartan men). Thirdly, while the film is largely an epic story and therefore brimming with blood and sweat, there were several instances of humor, very much appreciated and enjoyed by the audience. Finally, I believe my favorite part of the film were the characters themselves. Performed strongly with strong words and strong presence, the characters really made the film.

I saw 300 today in IMAX. It was everything I’d hoped it would be. Wonderful cinematography, great costumes, and oscar-level art direction. You canot help but be impressed by the tremendous attention to detail in this film, especially the exquisite high-speed photography and computer-generated graphics that make the slow-motion effects so incredibly beautiful. As a friend of mine put it, there was lots of bloodshed, but it was done so artistically, it hardly seemed violent. Lots of six-pack abs to look at, too, and distract you from the surrounding gore. Several memorable lines scattered in the terse dialog, especially when Leonidas’ wife, the queen, turns the Counsel’s own words on him: “This will not end quickly….” And to see it on the huge screen… well… Wow! That sums it up.

“300” is a beautifully filmed and tolerably acted comic book movie, but Clash of the Titans may offer more insight into historical Greece. Imagine Red Dawn, only with shaved chests and spears. And a war rhinoceros. Well, never mind. I suppose I can do no better than to echo this appropriately laconic appraisal from my moviegoing companion: It was better than Gladiator.

I loved this move! The audience in our theatre really go involved you could see people leaning forward in their seats, laughing at the “jokes” -”The today we will fight in the shade”, and even clapping and cheering when the queen slapped the guy.
I thought the movie was very engaging, I didn’t find the violence or blood as disquiting as I did in movies like Saw 3 and Hostel, and I thought the acting was great, the voice of King Leonedies was powerful enough to make me want to join the spartan army. . .

in refence to the comment below me, I didnt find the voice over annoying, I thought it added a certian level to the movie, to show that it was supposed to be a STORY being told and all sotries need a narrator. . . I’m hoping to go and see this movie again tonight!

Why the ridiculous voice over? Absolutely took away from what could have been a decent movie. Many points for visually stunning the audience but the voiceover in our theater was causing bursts of laughter because it was so damn persistent and innane. In a movie if your character shouts, you do not need a voice over saying “He shouted from the deepest depths of his soul.” That is what the acting is for, to show the depths of the character. Real Shame.

When King Xerxes of Persia chose to expand his massive empire westward, he thought he’d have no trouble taking out a handful of Spartans at a narrow pass called Thermopylae.

In 480-BC. King Leonidas of Sparta rallied his personal guard and others from the surrounding Greek countryside to defend freedom and democracy, to defeat the evil that wanted to enslave them. They chose their battle site carefully, a pass known as Thermopylae, or ‘Hot-Gates’ and waited for Xerxes 1st and his massive Persian Army to come to them, they chose their site carefully, for they were vastly outnumbered, but this pass, a narrow and high pass in the mountains would make the Persians huge numerical superiority meaningless.

They fought to the last man, and ultimately lost the battle, but not without slaughtering the persians en masse. Freedom and Democracy would prevail as the other Greek City States inspired by the sacrifice of the 300-Spartans at Thermoplyae would rise up in greater numbers, take no prisoners, give no mercy, and fight til the last man breathed his last for freedom, for democracy and for the Grecian way!

This is the context of Frank Miller’s 300, the amazingly stylized interpretation of the Battle of Thermopylae, in the film adaptation of Miller’s book. True to Miller and Varley’s amazing art work, and excellent prose, the movie complements Miller’s novel with great cinemetography, fine acting, and a great soundtrack.

The movie isn’t very historically accurate at all, it’s art, and it’s legend, more like watching a film adaptation of Greek mythology, then history. But I wouldn’t discount it for that, this is literature, and not textbook history.

Good movie.

The cast was great.

I thought it was going to be a bit boring for me, since the start of the movie was a little dragging, but it made up for with the intense battle scenes afterwards. The effects are really amazing as well.

If my sister didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t believe that Xerxes was Rodrigo Santoro! As in… WOW, is that really him? I don’t know why they made Xerxes look like a homosexual. I don’t have anything against genders, it’s just… weird. But he was able to pull it off, which is more important.

Have been waiting for this movie for over a year, and I can say it was absolutely worth every second of the wait!!! Awesome, incredible, don’t have enough words for how much I love this film! Have already seen it twice, and I plan on a few (dozen) more viewings!!! Yeah, there’s a lot of “blood” and violence, but it’s done in a way that, opposed to some hack and slash films, makes it seem like another character in the movie. The cinematography is amazing … it is the graphic novel with life breathed into it and brought to the big screen. This movie comes back with it’s shield, not on it! :D