REVIEW: 300
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Gerard Butler, Dominic West, Vincent Regan
Plot: Based on the graphic novel that depicts the historical Battle of Thermopylae, in which 300 Spartans stand their ground against a million Persian invaders.
Brief Thoughts: I was not as impressed by this movie as a lot of people seem to be. The characters are flat, the voice-over annoying, and you can expect at least one completely gratuitous sex scene. Also, though I appreciated some of the religious undertones, one image in particular struck me as the kind of gratuitous thing stuck in there for no other reason except that it's popular to do now (hint: pay attention near the end). The battle, while very cool at times, is really nothing compared to other epics like Lord of the Rings or Braveheart. The ending also is basically just a compilation of scenes and ideas stolen from other films. That said, it's still an entertaining movie. Visually it's extremely artistic and at times looks more like a painting than a piece of cinema. Also: this film is such a celebration of masculinity, and is infused with so much testosterone, that any guy who goes to watch it will want to roar and thump his chest during certain scenes. Plus, the women will enjoy seeing a lot of muscular shirtless guys. Not to mention that the most engaging and developed character in the film (as well as one of the strongest) is a woman. Good movie, but flawed.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Dominic West, Vincent Regan
Plot: Based on the graphic novel that depicts the historical Battle of Thermopylae, in which 300 Spartans stand their ground against a million Persian invaders.
Brief Thoughts: I was not as impressed by this movie as a lot of people seem to be. The characters are flat, the voice-over annoying, and you can expect at least one completely gratuitous sex scene. Also, though I appreciated some of the religious undertones, one image in particular struck me as the kind of gratuitous thing stuck in there for no other reason except that it's popular to do now (hint: pay attention near the end). The battle, while very cool at times, is really nothing compared to other epics like Lord of the Rings or Braveheart. The ending also is basically just a compilation of scenes and ideas stolen from other films. That said, it's still an entertaining movie. Visually it's extremely artistic and at times looks more like a painting than a piece of cinema. Also: this film is such a celebration of masculinity, and is infused with so much testosterone, that any guy who goes to watch it will want to roar and thump his chest during certain scenes. Plus, the women will enjoy seeing a lot of muscular shirtless guys. Not to mention that the most engaging and developed character in the film (as well as one of the strongest) is a woman. Good movie, but flawed.