300

300

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Starring: Gerard Butler

Genre: Action/Adventure

Run Time: 117 min.

Release Date: March 2007

On The Web: Official Site

Teaser: Movie Trailer

Reviewed by Chad Wilson

Heavily marketed with digitally glowing trailers in dramatic slow motion, 300 is the latest of writer Frank Miller's graphic novels to become a film. Like Robert Rodriguez did with his adaptation of Miller's graphic novel SIN CITY, so does director Zack Snyder turn to virtual stages and generous digital effects to transfer the drawn page of the comic into live action. For the most part, the setting and characters of Miller's work transfer well and while the film does suffer from more than a touch of self-indulgence, the method of delivery works well for the stylized, hyper-reality of this historical retelling.

Based upon the actual historical Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., 300 tells the story from the perspective of Greek King Leonidas (Gerard Butler, BEOWULF & GRENDEL) who leads his three hundred Spartans against the Persian army numbering in the millions. Commanding the Persian army is Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro, LOST TV SERIES), decked out in jewelry and piercings, digitally giant-sized and given a suitably imposing voice. In the city of Sparta, Lenonidas' wife Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey, THE CAVE) attempts to rally the city's loyalists (personified by Stephen McHattie, THE FOUNTAIN) to aid her husband's brave Spartans, but must contend with the machinations of the underhanded Theron (Dominic West, CHICAGO).

Narrated throughout with the voice of Dilios (David Wenham, THE PROPOSITION), the script wastes no time in setting up the characters of 300. The Spartans are shown as the fiercest warriors that ever lived and Leonidas' upbringing is told with a montage of battles and solitary survival until he grows into a man. The story then begins with Persian emissaries demanding the surrender of Sparta and the Greeks. Naturally, King Leonidas refuses to surrender his city and the war begins. The film adaptation of 300 resembles more than a little LORD OF THE RINGS and GLADIATOR, using plentiful digital grading like the former and a score like that of the latter. However, 300 is clearly an action epic and spends more time in battle than on any other element of the story. Featuring numerous bloody brawls and countless vicious deaths, 300 is a strong action film and stays well within the genre.

Some very well choreographed and exciting battles give a good account of 300, leaving not a fan unsatisfied. Zack Snyder directs his actors well in one brutal conflict after another as the Spartans fight with spear and shield, sword and fist against hordes of enemies. Blood flows freely and limbs fly aplenty, much of which is shown in either slow motion or speed ramped to give a sense of gravity and inertia. The technique can feel excessive at times, but with so much excitement put into each scene, it's hard not to ignore the visceral thrills to be had. Upping the ante for every battle, 300 takes a step even beyond the mythical and into the magical when the Spartans oppose increasingly non-human enemies more properly categorized as monsters than even the most bestial human.

Aside from the action, 300 includes some minor stories linked to the battle of Thermopylae. King Leonidis rejects a disfigured wannabe warrior named Ephialtes (Andrew Tiernan in heavy costume and makeup) who, upon feeling shunned, turns to the seductive court of Xerxes which offers the poor soul women and riches to betray the Spartans. Back in Sparta, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) tries her best to convince the Greeks to send aid to her husband. Neither story is all that compelling, but they do allow Snyder and Miller the chance to breakup the battles of the film and feature a bit of fan service typical of the action genre.

There can be no mistake that 300 is very over-the-top with both the use of dialogue and the attempts at drama. Sometimes these elements can make the film feel forced while at other times it's hard to go wrong with a little yelling in the face of a thousand bloodthirsty soldiers. The film functions best as an epic action piece with numerous exciting examples of ancient combat, a formula that works given the large portion of the script devoted to these scenes. The acting ranges from moving to somewhat flat, but most of the actors never break character and even deliver some truly entertaining dialogue at key moments. If there can be a major fault leveled at the film, it's taking itself ever so seriously and falling just short of the ambitiousness of the production.

Those not looking for a history lesson will find 300 a thoroughly engaging action film with plenty of thrills that will carry the viewer through some of the lesser scenes.