Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller's (Sin City) acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.

This movie will most likely either be praised to no end by fans of these types of films or panned by fans of more subtle and dramatic types of films. I always find myself in the middle, I love the fast paced, action packed, adrenaline-pumping type of film that is 300 like the average guy but at the same time I crave a film with acting and story and drama. So I find myself liking 300, enjoying 300 but I doubt you will see me foaming at the mouth and raving endlessly about the film like most of its target audience already are and will continue to do so in the near future. As I left the film I caught snippets of a conversation between two of its target audience, late teens early twenties males, about how it was the most awesome movie ever and I almost wanted to scoff at them. The movie is good, the movie is fun, but the movie is pure buttery popcorn fair in an era of popcorn films.

Stylized action, scenes of war and death, mix in a little history (even if the average movie goer might not know it’s already been done before with the 300 Spartans) and some catch phrases and you got the modern day action film. They are fun, they are enjoyable but they are also not that hard to do and in another six months they will be replaced by a film similar to themselves and be forgotten in a landscape of front loaded blockbusters. The story is there but not explored fully, instead switching back to the action too quick, the drama is there but again not explored fully as the movie prefers to ignore a number of elements that might have made it beyond just a popcorn film. I enjoyed and would watch it again and as far as modern day stylized action films this movie is superb in that aspect.

I am a fan of Frank Miller and movie adaptions of his comics as they are like ripping the comic right from the page and throwing it up on the big screen. They are the most fantastic and most realistic comic book movies as they seem delved in the real world rather than some fantastic comic book world. They are like splashing blood on a page or the screen as they capture what a comic book and why so many people love them.

I wonder if the movie realizes it or if it was unintentional as the movie has become a very homosexual-friendly film with half naked men baring superb physiques and abs for most of the film. Halfway through the film when I realized many of the actors weren’t that good at acting as it dawned on me that much of the casting must have revolved around the actors physiques and not their acting chops. The fact that many of the actors were chosen for their bodies rather then their acting abilities hurts the film a number of times. The producers and directors obviously knew what they were doing as to counter all the partial male nudity the film throws in a number of scenes with female nudity. 300 is like a caricature of the modern day feelings of what an action film should be in a society engrossed in gore and gratuity, in a modern day roman society.

Grade: B+