300 - reviews

Patrick Sun · 03-09-2007, 02:49 AM

Saw the midnight showing, so I was inclined to want to like the film a lot.

I'd offer the 1st act is a little shaky once we get to Leonidas as the adult king of Sparta. Some of the dialogue delivered by Gerard Butler seemed like he was trying to fight a lisp while delivering the words with the accent he choose for Leonidas.

The mid-section of the film is the visually fun part of the film, with the crew of 300 Spartans doing what they do best, but scenes back in Sparta play woefully flat and uninteresting, it was like they dropped in some soap opera set in this time period, and the direction in Sparta was underwhelming. Director Zack Snyder is good visually with the backdrops, but not so good with actors and the dialogue delivery. That being said, some of the comic relief feels a little too contemporary, but it was still welcomed given all the carnage on display in this film.

The last act fell a little flat to me too, there's this missed opportunity in the resolution that should have been much more inspirational in light of the odds faced by the 300, but it just doesn't quite hit the right notes for me.

So overall, it could have been great, but it's okay. Visually, it's sort of appealing, but there's just not enough foundation of a real world to support the veneer of Sparta or the chosen place of battle by the Spartans. I never felt like I was transported to this world, but merely was a passive viewer of the events that unfolded. Definitely check it out for a matinee price, or if you have one of those moviecash tickets from the Best Buy-300 promo last week.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Chuck Mayer · 03-09-2007, 02:58 AM

Good film. I was hoping for a home run, and got a solid triple.

300 is the graphic novel come to life. All of the beautiful Miller visuals (and quite a few of Snyder's), all of the Miller bombast, and lots of Miller's terrible dialogue

I'd forgotten about that, but it's here for the aficionados.

It wasn't as nutty and wall-to-wall action as I had hoped...some compromises were made to ensure 300 is a real movie, a complete story. But when it hits the action beats, it transcends the genre. Two action sequences in particular, one with Leonidas and one with a fighting pair of Spartans (a dyas), are f***ing spectacular. Demo HT material for years to come. They use the (seen in the trailer) speed up/slow down camerawork to replace the awful quick cuts. For that alone, Snyder should be given 10 Oscars, because I predict action films will use that methodology a lot more in the coming years, and it's significantly better than jump cuts, or shaky cam. It's fluid and smooth, and works for the viewer, not against.

The score is also excellent. It works well on the iPod, and even better in the film. The sound design is very solid. The acting has it's moments at both ends of the spectrum, but more good than bad. And Butler is quite good, even with some bad lines. The voiceover, especially at the tail end, becomes a bit tedious; Wenham is ill-suited for some of the histrionics.

I was left wanting a bit more, but the film came close to meeting expectations, so I was quite pleased. Any and all fans of graphic beheadings and copious nipples (and lovely ones at that) will be most pleased. And what else does a movie need, really

Worth a trip to the theater, just for the direction and style alone. When a story this awesome is well-told, it's worth going, even if it's only the Cliff Notes version.

As a last note, the loveliest end credits since The Incredibles, bar none. Just amazing...fans of the graphic novel will be extra pleased. Seriously...I'll watch these whenever I put the DVD (or Blu-Ray/HD-DVD, natch) in. They are that good.

I tried hard to limit my f-bombs...it's the kind of review (and movie) that calls for them

8.5/10,
Chuck

EDIT: Already fixed and in the right thread. To add to Patrick's comment, the "back home" stuff felt contrived and forced, probably because it was. I understand the studio push to have a female presence and to balance the action. It just plays poorly. Thankfully, there isn't much of it.

Dome Vongvises · 03-09-2007, 06:56 PM

Kick ass. That's pretty much it.

Score: B+

UngersPride · 03-09-2007, 08:07 PM

I just saw the movie.

I was looking forward to it, but I kept my expectations low.

All I can say is that I was pleasantly surprised.

This movie was very well done. Some of the visuals look like a Frank Frazetta oil painting. I loved the style and sheer visual beauty of this film. It sometimes felt like I was watching a dream of the battle - other worldly, yet real....

The action sequences are top notch. The director has a solid footing here. The one battle sequence with Butler (as Leonidas) was extraordinary..... as he moved in slow motion.... just superb artistry...

The entire movie worked for me. At 2 hours it never dragged. In fact I wanted to see more. It has a solid historical footing regarding events. However, if some things looked odd or if some of the characters looked fantasy-like, it should be remembered that this film is a stylized version of events based on a graphic novel. With that said, the good guys (the Spartans) are made to look like muscular he-men, while the traitors are made to resemble grotesgue creatures, and the enemy often comes across as bigger, darker, and more threatening... Thus, the visual canvas gives form to a person's true inner character....

The beginning of the film sets the mood and tone with a voice narration. Butler is Scottish, with a thick accent, so what you hear on screen is his accent - he is not trying to fake an accent....

The battle sequences are superb.

The back home scenes have a puropse: Leonidas' wife is trying to convince the Spartan Senate to send more soldiers to help her husband and the three hundred. It worked for me.

I could go and on.... suffice it to say I am looking forward to buying the DVD.

This movie makes it clear that it celebrates brave, heroic men. In a time of anti-heroes.... this movie revels in the fact that real HE-MEN are willing to lay down their lives for what they believe....

I easily give it a 9.5/10.

Brett_M · 03-10-2007, 09:30 AM

I have been looking forward to this since I heard about it. As a digital projection, I was not disappointed. I loved the flick. What pleased me the most was that they added to the graphic novel to flesh it out. No matter how good the battles are, 2 hours of just that would not be a good film. I enjoyed all of it.

Deftly directed, it was an audio-visual feast. Great production design with attention to detail. Filmed and edited beautifully. The battles were as exciting as I'd hoped -- bonecrushing and bloody. Score and sound were bombastic. I found the film moving in a few sequences, and I was pumped up at a few as well. I also enjoyed the humor infused throughout.

The performances served the film well and Gerard Butler was absolutely fantastic throughout. He will rocket to superstardom.

Every frame of the film is an epic painting of love, heroism, and slaughter.

It's a balls-out action film, a love story, and a drama about betrayal, duty, honor, and sacrifice.

It's my favorite movie this year.

****/****

**HTF Ads**

DustinPizarro · 03-10-2007, 11:35 PM

Long ago I never would have thought that I'd see 300 on the big screen. But fast forward 10 years and there I was in the middle of the theater captivated by every visual sequence that flashed across the screen.

Director Zack Snyder has done a tremendous job. Every scene I remembered was brought to life. My favorite being the Persians driven off the cliff by the marching Spartans. The battle scenes was every bit as ferocious with all the blood and flying body parts that the graphic novel is known for. And I agree with Chuck with the end credits, very impressive!!

The performances were good as well with obviously most of the credit going to Gerard Butler. His Leonidas was just as impressive as Mickey Rourke's Marv from Sin City. His Leonidas was very convincing and not just in the middle of a battle but in the poignant moments of realizing that he and his men will die.

If there were any negatives to this movie then I would point it to the score. Not that it was bad but it was not consistent. There was a scene after a battle where there was an electric guitar riff that seemed out place and took me out of the movie. I would have stuck with a more classical style but maybe I'm just nitpicking. I had no problems with the politics in Sparta scenes as the battle raged in the Hot Gates since they were not in the graphic novel. I thought of it as a filler for what would have been a shorter film without it.

Overall 300 is a soon to be classic which now has an empty spot on my shelf when it comes out on blu-ray. Can't wait!!!

Kami · 03-11-2007, 03:04 AM

First of all let me just say this movie is amazing to look at. I love the style. Almost every shot is a work of art in itself. This is one film that wholly benefits from being entirely green-screened - it was required to get the look across, and it worked very well.

Second the sound design is great, very high impact to go along with the outstanding visuals. The score was also great but I agree with an above poster that the guitar riffs in the one scene felt out of place. However knowing they are coming it'll sit much better on second viewing.

The action and fight scenes are extremely well choreographed. The action is simply awesome. I wanted more of it though. For all the fighting in the movie, I was never fatigued by it which is a sign of very good editing. The pace was good (though the movie seemed a tad slow to get going at the beginning). For a movie so focused on action, I find it kind of weird that I want more of it, but I do. So I got my fingers crossed for some kind of extended or director's cut with more battles.

Every time they went away from the battle I just wanted them to go back. I understand it was most likely because of the studio pressuring them into a larger female presence and whatnot, but I would have liked more focus on the battle. Not just the fighting but more of the stuff in between, to get a better look at Spartan tactics and such. I would have also liked to see some of the other Spartan warriors have their little plot lines fleshed out more, but they suffered because of the cutting back to Sparta in between attacks. There was some real potential for more "band of brothers" type stuff but it sadly fell short.

The acting was better than I expected. Some of the lines they had to deliver were pretty hard to get across convincingly but they managed to do it most of the time. Butler is the star here - his performance was top notch, he nailed it every step of the way.

This is a movie I think will do even better for me on repeat viewings at home (bring on the HD DVD, Warner!).

For now I give it a 4 out of 5.

Todd H · 03-11-2007, 10:35 PM

This was an amazing flick. I still can't stop thinking about it even though it's been hours since I left the theater. Can't wait for the Blu-ray.

5/5

BrettV · 03-12-2007, 03:57 AM

I saw this film last night. Amazing story, interesting/odd characterization, beautiful scenary, wonderfully engaging cinematography ...

The sound design and mix were solid. Nothing really over the top, but all there.

I'd give it a solid 8.

ErichH · 03-15-2007, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustinPizarro

There was a scene after a battle where there was an electric guitar riff that seemed out place and took me out of the movie. I would have stuck with a more classical style but maybe I'm just nitpicking.

You're being picky at all - it's a stinker moment in the edit room. Totally out of place. Along with the Zimmer music at the end, I'd say the score police were on a donut break.

I agree with many here - some of the battle scenes were great work.

E