Monday, August 25, 2008

300 (2007)

Score: 8/10

300 portrays the Battle of Thermopylae which happened around 480 BC between Persia and Sparta. The movie states that the Persian forces numbered one million, while the Spartans are only 300 with some additional helps from the Arcadians. Besides the superior fighting skill and valor from the Spartans, the battle ground is only a small pass, which makes it possible for a small army to defend against much bigger army.

The main character is King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), the king of Sparta. The movie shows how Spartans get their fierce fighting skill from the childhood of Leonidas. When the Persian Empire, led by King Xerxes, plans to attack Sparta, Leonidas rejects to yield, thus the battle begins. Spartan Elders do not wish to fight because the oracle says not to so Leonidas only moves with a small army of 300. There is a side political story involving the queen, but from this point on, the main focus is the battle and how Spartans slaughter various types of Persian forces.

It seems that this is only a typical old war movie, but I was wrong. The movie is indeed one of a kind. The battle scene is accompanied by heavy metal music, which can elevate your spirit. It is beautifully choreographed and it looks COOL, although you need to know that blood is splattered everywhere. The movie is full of CGI, which might look unreal in others, but looks impressive here. The story line is direct as what you expect from this kind of movie and the acting is satisfactorily. I should say that the casting department has worked hard to find a bunch of rippled stomach and big muscles men.

On the negative side, I feel that the movie exaggerates many things. The good side looks macho, while the evil side, some of them, looks deformed. I have no idea how people look back then, but it is highly unlikely that they appear as portrayed in 300. Scenes that are not related with the battle move too slow and sometimes it becomes annoying. In my opinion, the director should reduce this portion, while expanding the battle scene. It also deviates from real history account. For example, Spartans never went to war wearing only a clad of “Speedo” with a flowing cape. There are still many unconformities, but I cannot explain here without spoiling your enjoyment. If you do not know any historical background related with the movie, then you will definitely enjoy every moment.

In overall, this is still a good and enjoyable movie. It is original and it delivers successfully.

Further information on 300, you can visit:
- IMDB: 300
- 300 Official Site

"Face my 1 million"

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