Warner brings Zack Snyder’s pivotal film 300 to 4K UHD Blu-ray, which is a visual and aural feast in 2160p and Dolby Atmos.
The Production: 4.5/5
The following is from Matt Hough’s review of the 2017 Blu-ray release:
The annals of history are riddled by heroic last stands (the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Little Big Horn, the Alamo), and the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which three hundred Spartan soldiers made a courageous stand against an invading army of 250,000 Persians ranks as one of history’s most legendary encounters. Like the other previously mentioned routs, the movies have often depicted the events of these legendary encounters, and the Battle of Thermopylae is no different having previously shown up on-screen in the cheesy, forgettable 1962 film The 300 Spartans. Zack Snyder’s film ‘300’ rights that wrong by presenting an astounding visual account of the war in all its glory, majesty, and power.
The film’s screenplay by director Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Michael B. Gordon was based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, the same Frank Miller responsible for the offbeat and thoroughly entertaining neo-noir Sin City (and co-director of its film incarnation). Miller’s graphic take on this famous three day standoff in 480 B.C. has been captured by director Snyder and his crew with astonishing fidelity to the look and tone of the original artwork and dialogue. I’d venture to say that ‘300’ is quite possibly the greatest achievement yet in combining live action with computer backgrounds on the screen. Once one buys into the look, sound, and spirit of this world, it is quite easy to get lost in it so hypnotic is the spell that is cast by the stylized visuals and by a pitch perfect cast.
Gerard Butler stars as Spartan king Leonidas, the very embodiment of the no-nonsense Spartan warrior with a herculean physique, a lion’s heart, and a fearless, cocksure demeanor. This is not a man to be tested or challenged for the words “surrender” and “defeat” are not in his vocabulary, and the model he sets for his men seems to have carried over to every last one of his soldiers. His queen is Gorgo played by Lena Headey. Another model of Spartan strength and possessing a fierce will, she is more than a match for her husband and one of the real joys of this production (though she stays in Sparta with their son when her husband goes off to battle, she has her own hands full dealing with an insidious politician played by Dominic West, another great asset to the movie). Leonidas’ Persian enemy, the man-god Xerxes, is effectively played as a menacing effete by Rodrigo Santoro.
The choreographed majesty of the battle scenes is particularly impressive in the early-going as the crafty Greeks position themselves in a narrow pass and manage to ward off advance after advance with their own seemingly invincible strategies. Though not a particular fan of war films (with the occasional exception), I was dazzled by the effectiveness of the Greeks’ moves and countermoves, frustrating the Persians who had hoped that their victory would be assured by their sheer numbers and the advance word on their bottomless bag of tricks, all of which the Greeks find ready solutions for much to the dismay of the Persians.
If the film has weaknesses, they’re mainly due to some less than convincing CGI creatures and the close-to-unending battle footage. As things become desperate and the combat turns from team playing to individual combat, the hackings and slashings begin to become just a bit tiresome and repetitive. Beautifully rendered they are from beginning to end (and the CGI backdrops throughout the entire film are breathtaking to watch), but the final skirmishes which show individual audience favorites going to their inevitable deaths might have come just a bit sooner.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
300 was shot on 35mm film using the Super 35 process mostly against a green screen to later be combined with CG backgrounds rendered and completed as a 2K digital intermediate. That was 13 years ago. Warner has upscaled that 2K DI to 2160p with HDR10 high dynamic range, and the result seen on this UHD disc release is breathtaking. There is a noticeable increase in detail, but that may be due more to the more controlled contrast thanks to HDR10 than any bump in resolution or bitrate. 300 is a very stylized film with muted colors and heightened contrast, and as good as the 2008 Blu-ray (which used the VC-1 codec and is included in this set) was, blacks appeared crushed and whites often blown out. While the artistic choices are still represented here, the contrast is much more controlled, allowing for better shadow details and brighter whites that also retain their shadings. Chapter four is a good example, where the contours of the mountain are much more present yet still appear dark and the craters of the moon are more pronounced and visible, both in the brighter and darker portions. Film grain is present throughout as originally intended.
Audio: 5/5
As good as the 5.1 mix was on the original Blu-ray release (available in lossy Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, and uncompressed PCM on that disc), the new Dolby Atmos mix, which is Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible, is even more of a demo-worthy track, fully immersing the viewer into the environments of the movie. Arrows and even seagulls can be heard flying overhead; rain, thunder, and crowds surround you; 300 has never sounded better. LFE is often thundering but never too boomy. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout.
Special Features: 3/5
The UHD disc contains only one extra – porting the audio commentary from the Blu-ray release. The disappointment, though, is that Warner has decided to include the 2007 Blu-ray release, and not the 2009 Complete Experience disc which included many more interesting special features than what was included in the original release.
Audio Commentary with Director Zack Snyder, Co-Writer Kurt Johnstad, and Cinematographer Larry Fong
300: Fact or Fiction? (1080i; 24:36)
Who Were the Spartans?: The Warriors of “300” (1080i; 4:32)
Preparing for Battle: The Original Test Footage (1080i; 6:43)
Frank Miller Tapes (1080i; 14:42)
The Making of “300” (480i; 5:51)
Making “300” in Images (480i; 3:40)
Webisodes (480i; 38:23)
Deleted Scenes (1080i; 3:23)
Digital Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem a digital copy (in UHD where available) on Movie Anywhere.
Overall: 4.5/5
Fans of 300 will likely want to upgrade their copy of 300 to 4K UHD for the improved video and audio presentation, but may want to hold on to their copy of The Complete Experience Blu-ray edition for the missing special features.
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