Review - 300

300

Like most historical epics, 300 flirts with the details, but thats the point in Zack Snyder's (Dawn of the Dead) adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel. After success with Sin City, Miller's work has found a home on the big screen, and the tale of Spartan King, Leonaidis is a tale fit for celluloid.

With Persia threatening his country, Leonaidis and just 300 soldiers defended Sparta against an army of hundreds of thousands. It's a story of bravery, honour and a fight against a superior aggressor which is just one reason 300 sounds like it was ripe for cinematic adaptation.However this is a Frank Miller adaptation, and Snyder loyally sticks to the comic book roots which are the films strongest and weakest points.

This is like no other epic you will have ever seen. Imagine Lord of the Rings battlefield bravado meets the stylized palette of Sin City and you will nearly be there. It is a gorgeous looking film, with sepia, electric blue and blood red all inking into the frame. The battle sequences use Matrix style action, but it seems fresh and intense.

The other strong point of 300, is the performance of Gerald Butler as Leonaidis. He is a mountain of a man, but one filled with passion and his own sense of honour and freedom. Butler makes him the standout character in what is essentially a comic character. Leonaidis is given such a presence by Butler that you wouldn't want to piss him off.

Yet, 300 never escapes it's pulpy roots. Because Snyder plays the stylistic card to great effect, it seems that the historical epic gets lost in the mix. The dialogue at times is cliched, and there are some dubious politics and racial stereotypes that surface with rather alarming resonance for a viewer in the 21st Century.

All in all, a beautiful movie, hamstrung by its own ambitions.

7 out of 10