Review: 300 - Directed by Zack Snyder
Rated R for graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity.

In the world of graphic novels, few are as revered or critically acclaimed as Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's 300. Epic, beautiful, and brutal, it's 88 pages of pure machismo drenched in blood and sweat and presented in the larger than life boldness of sickly earth-tones and deep crimson. Where it counts, director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead remake) translates this unique look to his big screen adaptation of Frank Miller's masterpiece. However, as is often the case with comic to movie attempts, some things work best only on paper.

In 300, Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) leads (surprise) 300 of his finest warriors into battle against the vast Persian armies of King Xerxes. Outnumbered beyond reason, Leonidas chooses to make his stand at the 'Hot Gates', a twisted mountain path facing the sea where the vastness of the Persian army will be of no use. Meanwhile, on the home front, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) struggles with the corrupt and complacent Greek senate to send reinforcements to aid in the King's battle.

What I enjoyed so greatly about Frank Miller's 300 graphic novel was the relentless pacing of the story. Fairly short by graphic novel standards, there was nary a page that went by without stunning imagery of violent combat. The focus was placed firmly on the heroism and intractability of Leonidas and his men, with brief flashbacks filling in the less important buildup to the battle. But although the battle sequences in the 300 film were an almost frame-per-frame copy of the graphic novel, the movie as a whole takes on a different feel than its source.

Quite unlike the fierce compactness of the novel, more than a few parts of Snyder's 300 felt like unwarranted filler. Don't get me wrong, the primary focus is still on Spartan bravery in gloriously gory clashes, but the added story of Queen Gorgo and Theron seemed tacked on. Breaking up the pace of the action, these scenes do little but increase 300's runtime.

Although much of the acting in 300 involved little else then looking beefy and being able to recite your lines whilst shouting, Gerard Butler and crew do an admirable job humanizing the godlike Spartan warriors. Likewise, Rodrigo Santoro's portrayal of King Xerxes is, at the very least, unsettling.

Overly dramatic and unnecessarily deep at times, 300 is still the story of one of the most epic battles in human history. And with chopped limbs, spilled blood, and a total disregard for realism, by God it's a story well told. With ear-shatteringly powerful sound effects and dazzling visual flair, 300 is guaranteed to blow you to the back of your seat. This is one movie that you will not soon forget.

Rating: 4.5 / 5