If you’re the type who
applauds decapitation (and people did when I saw the movie), your hands are
going to be raw, and your vocal chords strained from cheering while watching
300. Those seeking nice, safe, comfy
family fun must go elsewhere, and pray your kid doesn’t wander into this
theater by accident when coming back from the bathroom.
Set in 480 BC, Gerard Butler
stars as King Leonidas – leader of Sparta. He and his fellow military warriors have been
trained and hardened to be the greatest fighters anyone could face on the
battlefield, and their abilities are about to be tested (as well as their fur
speedos, which I really hope don’t become the latest in men’s fashion). Persian King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) is
moving with thousands upon thousands of soldiers to conquer Europe. Now, Sparta,
along with the rest of Greece,
is in his sights (maybe he wants his own fur speedo). After being denied a chance to engage in the
fight with the backing of the full Spartan army, Leonidas sets off with 300 of
his best warriors to head off the Persian army, hoping to inspire the people of
Sparta, the governing council, and one of his greatest adversaries, Theron
(Dominic West), to fight a battle that could be the key to their safety and
survival.
Can 300 stand up to hundreds
of thousands? Will Xerxes conquer and
enslave the Greeks?
While there is some sort of
plot going on in 300, this movie is about the decapitations, severed limbs and
blood splattering all over the screen. While
I wish 300 would go much further beyond the graphic battles that most are
looking for, director Zack Snyder isn’t concerned with storytelling or character
development, yet makes it work on screen. 300 shows he wants to stun your eyes, and does it with amazingly
shocking visuals, bloody confrontations, a very dreamlike and silvery look on
screen, and characters your wildest nightmares could not imagine (unless you go
to a Grateful Dead concert or Bonnaroo, if you know what I am saying).
Snyder expertly makes 300
(based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller) into a raw, primal movie that
appeals to the most base of desires, whether it be carnal destruction or sexual
desire. Instead of a traditional story
line, each individual showdown and action scene is a little sub-plot unto
itself, while the audience sees a screen full of severed limbs, bloody spears
and epic screaming before shields, swords and arrows clash. Even if you want to call the action and
violence gratuitous, it’s done with amazing style, so the audience is drawn in
by the tension and drama on screen.
On the negative side, Snyder
tries a bit too hard to give us an epic feel with narration that doesn’t add
much to the mood, too many sweeping visuals of the field (we get that they are
outnumbered the first time we see oceans of soldiers, we don’t need to see it
again and again), and overpowering music that invades scenes rather than complimenting
them. As co-writer, along with Kurt
Johnstad and Michael Gordon, he does a decent job providing the bare bones of a
plot and character conflicts, and even has some great moments like an awesome,
tense showdown between Leonidas and Xerxes that gives each actor a chance to
show some personality, especially Butler, who makes Leonidas into a likable
rogue with a smart aleck, cocky attitude.
However, the basic plot often is pushed aside as Leonidas advances from
battle to battle like this is a video game and he is moving to higher levels to
face off with ever more frightening characters and situations.
There has been lots of talk lately
about some R-rated movies getting a special warning that they may be too much
for children under 17, even if a parent or guardian wants to buy a ticket and
accompany the minor into theater. This
is one of those movies. Mystical oracles
give guidance to King Leonidas after a half naked girl writhes around in the
mist like a stripper on the Vegas strip hoping someone will make it rain. Bodies are mutilated and butchered on more
than one occasion, and the battle scenes are ferocious. Adults can choose to see this, and enjoy it
if they want. Even I enjoyed it. However, you might want to be tough if you
have a 10-year old who wants to go.
2
½ Waffles (Out Of 4)
300 is rated R for graphic battle sequences, some sexuality and nudity.
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2007 - WaffleMovies.com
