By Tanner Mielke
With shields up and spears ready, 300 Spartans focus on the rushing army of the Persian Empire counting in the millions. Shields clash as the forces collide; it's the stuff that epic movies are made of.
300 is the second Frank Miller graphic novel brought to life by Zack Snyder, 300’s screen play writer and director, to be made into a movie following Sin City. Much like Sin City, 300 is a perfect adaptation from the comic book style frames to motion picture action.
Frank Miller's 300 follows real historical events where only a handful of Spartans were faced to defend against the waves of the Persian Empire army. Many serious historians may want to avoid it though, due do the hisorical inacuracies, which some were even done on purpose. One inacuacy is the fighting styles and formations used by the Spartans to make it more visually appealing for the movie. There is also plenty of Frank Miller’s and Zack Snyder’s imagination to go around. With giant elephants towering over the Spartans to an executioner with blades for arms, it is definitely a sight to see.
Visually, 300 is like no other. Some colors of the setting are dulled out while others are bright and vibrant such as the red cloth of the Spartans. Other times color fills the screen when the Spartans are gathered in a golden field outside Sparta or under the deep blue night sky with the moon lighting all the details. At times the combination of colors can be breathtaking.
Not to worry, there is plenty more to pay attention to other than the colors. The choreographed battle sequences, accompanied by a well fitting score of music, are like no other. Whether it's a million arrows soaring through the air or the Spartans fighting with their shields and spears, the action grabs you to the point of forgetting to blink.
300 is not one of those action movies leaving the brain bored with no story. It is also filled with great dramatic and memorable dialog It can be the vivid detailed narration of the movie, which stands out as being very well done, or a speech given before a grand battle. Spartan King Leonidas to his soldiers, “We Spartans have descended from Hercules himself. Taught never to retreat, never to surrender. Taught that death in the battlefield is the greatest glory he could achieve in his life. Spartans: the finest soldiers the world has ever known…Spartans! Enjoy your breakfast, for tonight we dine in Hell!” When taking a break from the action the dialog constantly keeps your attention.
As one may have guessed with its R rating, 300 is not for everybody. 300 has a good amount of gore, though never anything over the top, and some nudity so parents might not want their young children to witness it just yet.
All in all, 300 is one movie that can't be compared to anything. Nothing quite like it has ever been done before. It is a nice relief from some of the generic, "done before", movies that fill the theaters. If it's not the intense, mesmerizing battle scenes it's the powerful well done dialog and story telling. There are even some comedic points to relieve the serious blood shed tone. 300 is an all around must see movie. I give it 5 spears up out of 5.
(Back to top)
|
|
|
