300

Excellent film

absolutely amazing film, got to be one of the best ones I've ever seen ticks every box for every person who likes movies definitely a Saturday night carry on your lap, glass of wine in your hand movie in your eyes. Job done.

GREAT MOVE ACTION PACK

Impressive. Discounting three short deleted scenes, the second disc covers every credit behind the movie’s production, from Snyder’s blustering yak-track, to designers, to stuntmen, to actors’ blogs previously posted up as webisodes. Best, however, are the two chunky docs on Spartan culture that put 300’s mock heroics to shame with sardonic gusto.PlotAs Persian emperor Xerxes (Santoro) marches on Greece in 480 BC, the Spartan king Leonidas (Butler), forbidden by custom and religion to muster his army, marches just 300 men to Thermopylae to delay the vast invading force.VerdictVisually stunning, thoroughly belligerent and as shallow as a pygmy’s paddling pool, this is a whole heap of style tinged with just a smidgen of substance.

300 Spartans, the fiercest warriors of ancient Greece, vow to hold a small mountain pass against the innumerable hoardes of the Persian Empire. Based on a comic book which, in turn, was based on the real-life battle at Thermopylae.What I liked most about this film is the way in which the story is told. It is narrated by David Wenham (of Faramir fame), whose character is relating the story to his warrior cohorts around a camp fire. This means that the story takes on a larger than life aspect in the Chinese whisper tradition of oral histories. The Persians become depraved mutants through the eyes of Wenham's character and the Spartans become heavily muscled fearless heroes.As well as being told as though it were a legend of ancient times, '300' also nods towards it's later comic book incarnation by having in-battle freeze-frames which could almost be panels in a graphic novel.Whilst this film will win no awards for it's acting, Gerard Butler puts forward a charismatic performance as King Leonidas (Xerxes: "Our cultures could share much with one another." Leonidas: "Haven't you noticed? We've been sharing our culture with you all morning.") and David Wenham does a respectable job with the narration, particularly for the scene of 'the wolf in the winter cold'.Overall, this is a testosterone movie, being filled with violence, gore, heroic speeches and scantily clad women. It's also the best comic book adaption I've ever seen. Crack open a beer with your mates and let the good times (and Persian heads) roll.

300 Spartans vs the million Persian warriors.

I didn't see this when released due to a perception of a gore-fest, but had just bought the DVD having seen info on the special effects. It is a fantastic movie and biblical in its approach, i.e. probably somewhat idealized and exaggerated but illustrating a real event. It is amazing that the actors created such raw power when acting against 'green screen(or blue?)to allow the marvellous, high contrast and imagined backdrops to be painted in. Their irony in the script was nicely done and surprisingly reflects the history of the Spartans. The gore is certainly there but it is a reminder to our modern sensibilities of what happened in history when thousands of men fought hand to hand with crude weapons - no 'clean' TV deaths then, I think. Also the Spartans looked the part - as hard professional soldiers trained to kill or be killed. The politics including the fabulous Lena Headey as Queen of Sparta gave a good background to the battle. The two disc version has some interest, particularly two historians' views on the battle of Thermopylae and photos of the actual location and monument. Must go sometime...Another great DVD for the collection.

The Battle of Thermopylae saw three hundred Spartans hold the might of the Persian army in a small pass for three days and this film is a highly fictionalized version of the battle. Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller rather than the actual events of the battle, this film was never going to be historically accurate but to be honest that is not the reason why people would wish to see this film.300 has been described as an ode to violence and that is its main appeal, the brilliantly choreographed and stylized slow-motion fight scenes and the beautiful visuals produced by the CGI environment are the films strengths and if you like good writing, historical accuracy and intelligent plotting then you are watching the wrong film.My main problem with the film is that at times it does come across, intentionally or not, as anti-Iranian propaganda but seeing as the Battle of Thermopylae has been used as such for thousands of years, this is hardly surprising. Despite its faults I think 300 is a great film, brilliantly made in the style of Sin City and a nice change from the more sanitized films Hollywood usually produces.