300 (15)

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey and David Wenham.

From the creator of Sin City and the director of the Dawn of the Dead remake comes 300. An epic fantasy film that, in my eyes breathes new life into the genre.

Based upon the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller, which is loosely based upon the true battle at Thermopylae, this film is a non-stop action packed blood fest. I have never seen a film like this. The overall look of the film lies closely with it's comic book roots and it's an absolute joy to see or look at. I can't stop my self from comparing it to a piece of art, you don't watch it like other films but instead look at it as a piece of art. This film is purely a visual film and lacks many components of conventional film elements such as a decent narrative or good character development, and as a result it seems very flat.

As I mentioned above 300 is purely a visual film and it certainly does not disappoint in this respect. I have never seen a film where the battles were so graceful and brutal at the same time, the cinematography of this film reaches a new level, the camera work is graceful and smooth as are the Spartans as they slaughter the Persian armies, with a brutality rarely seen in mainstream movies. The use of slow motion although infuriating to some, I found was used brilliantly to allow the audience to see all the action. The characters were totally stereotypical and I found it refreshing to be able to sit back and just look rather than think about the characters and the story.

Everything about this film is style over substance and this is by no means a bad thing, it's just different. By being different it has alienated large audiences while others say this film is a master piece. In my opinion I enjoyed 300 very much and found it to be an excellent two hour action fest that took the common elements out of Gladiator and Lord of the Rings and focused on the battle sequences making them visually more appealing than any other fantasy epic film. While at the same time dumbing down the plot and making the characters seem more one sided rather than real people.

This film is incredible for all the wrong reasons but that is not necessarily a bad thing. For what you get, you'll not be bored the whole two hours it's on. 300 is a triumphant return to the good old days of mindless violence taking the main stage, while story and characters take a back seat. This film is a must see, just don't go in expecting an epic drama, because then you'll be disappointed.