HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition - Page 2

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

One question I have for Warner SD-DVD's is why the sudden drop in quality. For years they pumped out great transfer after great transfer, and since HD/BD came along the quality has really taken a nose dive.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

Correct Ken.

The HD side looks exactly like in did in cinemas - grain galore, lol.
The online feature prompted cookies, which you should select ACCEPT ALWAYS under settings.

Haven't checked the sound yet.

The SD side has compression issues obviously, and the grain looks worse. Be happy to watch it in HD if you can.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

This is an interesting film and I do think you need to consider it because it follows a line of filmmaking techniques that we're probably going to see more of. I'm sure people can name other films that fall in this category but I think the line goes something like this:

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Sin City

300

All of these films are set in a computer generated comic book environment. Personally I much prefer a real world environment as a setting but due to the expense of creating them now we are probably much more likely to see films that require a unique environment set in one of these computer candy lands. I can't say I find that a good thing. Nothing can compare to an amazing environment that the actors can actually interact with...say the Discovery in 2001...and I think you are drawn into the film much deeper if they are in a real place and not standing in front of a digital painting.

All that said because 300 is a comic book come to life the effects work wonderfully to achieve the goal in this film, just as they did in Sin City.

I will say that I did find 300 very entertaining but obviously not a great film. It's a popcorn movie and a great one at that. Certainly a "guy" movie that pretty much goes right for the teenage boy in us. To me it sort of reminds me of Mysterious Island or a Harryhausen Sinbad film...plot and character development are less important than the action and fancy effects. You could find plenty of ways to attack this film but why would you when the intended outcome of viewing it is to get you to say "Wow, that was neat!"

I think comparing it to Troy and Alexander is pretty funny. I guess just because they are all sword and sandal flicks that means we should compare them. I don't think that makes any sense because 300 is not meant to be a "historical epic" as the other two films are...it's a comic book, get it? Comparing it to Sin City makes the most sense but really who cares?

It's also kind of funny that my problem with Troy and Alexander is the same...the casting stinks. I guess they wanted "names" to play the leads but Pitt and Farrell were terrible choices and they both stink up the screen. Stone also cast Leto to play Farrell's gay lover...which probably makes perfect sense, if you were casting say, "Brokeback Alexander" but these guys are not at all believable as great warriors fighting their way across continents. They look like a strong breeze would defeat them never mind barbarian hordes. The cast in 300 may not be asked to do much more than scream their dialog but in terms of what the filmmakers wanted...it's a perfect cast.

So while Alexander is a much more interesting film its flaws are far larger than those in 300. 300 hits a home run with its cast and in accomplishing what it set out to accomplish. I think everybody involved with it did exactly what they set out to do and this is why the film is so damn enjoyable to watch. Troy, to me, is the worst of these three and the one that there is no reason to ever watch again.

If you have to choose which film is the best of the three, 300 wins over Troy and Alexander because it is exactly what its makers wanted it to be. I think Alexander is the most interesting of the three but 300 is overall the better film. If you want a film like 300 that I actually think is a better film I'd go with Gladiator. It has the great action, a far better story, much more in the character area and it is a beautiful film to look at.


Just my two cents...

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

I think all of the "CG" films listed above owe a debt to the movie "Tron" -- which offered desaturated palettes and people living in a computer generated world that was supposed to "look like something else" (in the case of "Tron," a video game).

I have read some other reviews of the SD version of "300" that find the transfer to be very good. So I think I'll pick this up tomorrow.

The movie is a bombastic platter of sex and violence...and there isn't a lot of plot.

But it does manage to be a "guy movie" in an age when we don't see all that many R-rated action cheese-fests anymore. And it is a very handsome looking movie.

I am one who thinks movies feature too much CGI these days. However, this movie has stuck with me because it does look so damn unique.

Question: are the discs containing the movie the same on both single-disc and two-disc versions?

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

99% sure they are...

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

I am disappointed that there is no trailer for this movie. I plan on watching the feature tonight, and just got home, popped in the disc, and was saddened that the amazing trailer was not on there.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

Well, it is based on a real historical incident, so it's not 'just' a comic book.


I don't give any film kudos just because the filmmakers aimed low and accomplished that task. I really liked the 'look' of 300 and that's about it. At least it did try to do something unique so I would cut it more slack than things like TROY or ALEXANDER. What all three of these films apparently share is a gay subtext, thus making 300 probably the most mainstream gay film ever. That token female love interest thrown into all this macho-speedo action was hilarious.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

Doesn't matter. It's a comic book. It doesn't set out to be anything other than that. It's not going for accuracy.


"Aiming low" is subjective. As far as your "gay subtext" claim, sounds like those are some issues you need to work with and shouldn't have any bearing on the quality of the film.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

I have absolutely no problem with gay material, thank you very much. I actually found the homoerotic subtext of the film kind of interesting as you usually don't see stuff like that in most mainstream films. And I was never judging the quality of "300" on that issue at all. The dumb dialog and over-emoting pretty much ruined the film for me. If others like that, fine. But don't even think about accusing or implying me of homophobia or any kind of bigotry, because you would be dead wrong.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

If you're looking for the trailer, I know it's on the DVD release of "TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING" as that's where I first saw it. It's probably on some other WB/New Line releases, but that's the only one I know. The trailer is very cool.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

Just finished watching this with my front projector, and I feel it pretty much faithfully captured the movie as I saw it in theaters. Didn't notice any noise.

By the way, there is an additional extra which the reviewer missed (at least it's on my movie-only edition -- I suspect it's on the two disc as well): on the special features menu, push up and highlight the 300. Press enter and watch a short piece about the efforts they went through to get this green-lit. Included is a short test scene they shot to convey how the speed changes would look during a fight.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

Did anyone buy the version at Best Buy that comes with the miniature Spartan helmet?

i was very disappointed in the transfer of 300.... the beginning parts are almost unwatchable....although this will give me more incentive to buy a Blu-Ray player sooner rather than later

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

"i was very disappointed in the transfer of 300.... the beginning parts are almost unwatchable...."

Wow. What did you watch it on?

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

Actually, while the battle of Thermopylae did occur, this film does not at all delve into that but is instead based upon Frank Miller's graphic novel (which is a fancy way of saying comic book). History is not at all the focus of the film and it does not attempt to recreate it. In fact Miller did not base his comic book on historical events. He created it because he was inspired to do so by the film "The 300 Spartans." So, it's fairly obvious this is not at all meant to be historically accurate but instead just one big kick ass comic book battle. The whole film is played to be over the top so if:

"The dumb dialog and over-emoting pretty much ruined the film for me."

then I'd have to say you missed the point of the film. It's a popcorn fable, a fairytale for guys who are still boys at heart...it's supposed to be big, dumb, and loud. It's probably as deep as a conversation in the huddle at any NFL football stadium on a fall Sunday afternoon. If you were looking for something deeper than that you were watching the wrong film.

As far as a gay subtext goes, well, it's certainly there but other than Xerxes red hot come on to King Leonidas I don't think it was an important part of the film. Sure, there's plenty of beefcake on display for people who dig that but let's face it, Alexander had a lot more of a gay angle than 300. Farrell and Leto seemed to be in a different movie than the rest of the cast most of the time and it was annoying as all hell to watch. I'm not gay so perhaps I'm not the best person to comment on this aspect of these films but to me it was more of a central theme (and historically accurate) in Alexander. I did read a review of 300 in the local paper and the reviewer seemed to feel the film was made specifically for the gay community but the reviewer was gay and perhaps that was what he saw in it. I did not find 300 to be a "big gay action flick" but hey, if that's how some people view it and it enhances their enjoyment of the film...well...great for them.

I think the only fair comparison for this film is Sin City and maybe Constantine because they are all "comic book" films that are dark and gory. They are not great films (Hey, I prefer Peckinpah, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, The Getaway, The Wild Bunch, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, when it comes to action) but they are attempts to bring comic book style to the screen. I can't really look any deeper at them than that. Sin City and 300, to me anyway, did an outstanding job of doing that. I don't think they were setting the bar low. They were shooting for a certain style (over substance) and they hit their marks.

I think Frank Miller is going to be seeing a lot of his work on the big screen and the "comic book style" of filmmaking is hot right now. I don't much care about it but you can't deny that fact.

Hey, if you want to talk about setting the bar low, Grindhouse is your film for that conversation...

Now, tonight I'm going to watch "Blow Up" again because Antonioni just died. I had just watched "The Passenger" again only a couple of weeks ago...

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

Well, it definitely succeeded in being big, dumb, and loud - so you are right on that count. And, yes, it is the wrong film for me as I prefer a little brains in the films I watch, even in a big mainstream popcorn flick. I've always hated the excuse "it's just a popcorn flick" as if that excuses any film from having any smarts or quality to it. You know, some "popcorn flicks" can have some cerebral matter in there as well to make things a bit more interesting. Popcorn flicks don't have to wallow in the lowest common denominator. I personally felt 300 was laughably dull and doesn't even work as a comic book film. It's "big, dumb, and loud", just as you said. I want more than big, dumb and loud. If it was "big, dumb, loud, and smart", I may have liked it a bit more. On the opposite side of the equation, I really liked SIN CITY a lot as it offered clever dialog, a much more interesting story and characters, and a more intricate interweaving plot. Something to look at and something cerebral to hold your attention.

Good choice on THE PASSENGER. Great film - my personal favorite of Antonioni's.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

I just finished 300 and had to report: it looked EXACTLY the same on my 51" RPTV as it did in the theater, where I saw it three times (once digitally projected).

The transfer is fine.

The look is intentional. There is no "noise," "macroblocking," "shimmer" or "problem with the compression."

I would liken its appearance to an LCD display. It looks like it has texture.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

Fair enough, Ken. I don't remember seeing your example when I watched last night or from any of my theatrical experiences for comparison. I am bothered by noise and bad transfers in general -- it had no problems with this transfer at all. Perhaps my eye (or HT) is not as good as yours

What I was referring to was the overall look of the film which could be construed as a bad transfer by someone who passed on it theatrically. After your review was posted, many readers jumped on the "what's the problem with WB transfers these days?" bandwagon. It looks exactly the same at home as it did in the theater.

By the way, I'm using an Oppo 971 upconverting to 1080i.

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

A very entertaining cheesefest of a movie, with some very remarkable, if repetitive, visuals. Gerard Butler was very good; this sort of role can be more difficult than appearances would suggest. I must say that given the outrageousness of the movie, I was hoping for an even more outlandish climax.

As for Alexander, I urge anyone judging that film to see "Alexander Revisited," the final cut of the film, which is so much better than the other cuts out there it isn't even remotely funny- that version is the film we all expected from Oliver Stone- a wild, lurid, ambitious, excessive, stupefyingly violent monstrosity of a picture. The disjointedness is all gone, and for some reason the casting and dialogue doesn't bother anymore; it all seems to make sense. Further proof that editing makes or breaks a movie. It should also be noted that this was an independent film, and not really aspiring for the mainstream character and story arc we're familiar with in this genre. I apologize for going off topic, but the film deserves better.

I'm off to watch L'Eclisse

Regards,
Nathan

Re: HTF REVIEW: 300: Two-Disc Special Edition

I'm surprised there has been very little discussion about the sound mix of 300.

I figured this disc to have a kick-butt mix...but with all the discussion about the video transfer, my sites were set low.

I ran through a few scenes yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. This may be tempered somewhat by the fact that I am getting used to a new subwoofer, but the LFE was terrific and the use of the surrounds during the battle scenes was aggressive...making for quite an immersive experience. IMHO, that is.