As you likely know by now, 300 trounced its opposition at the box office this weekend, topping $70 million in ticket sales and satisfying moviegoers yearning for a new cinematic blood fest. In that last regard, the highly stylized rendition of the comic book created by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley and based on the Battle of Thermopylae doesn’t disappoint.
Those hoping for legitimate character development or well-constructed dialogue, however, should look elsewhere. There is no shortage of theatrical, ham-fisted exchanges between King Leonidas of Sparta and most other characters, and his real-life counterpart, Gerard Butler, often does his best to channel Mel Gibson’s version of William Wallace in Braveheart. Yes, a certain amount of dramatics is necessary in any war epic, but at least the aforementioned blockbuster connected on more of a personal level than its 2007 cousin.
The visuals and battle sequences, though, do save an otherwise boring storyline. The high-contrast visuals are a vibrant array of blues, coppers, silvers, blacks and whites, and Director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead, 2004) effectively alternates the action between regular speed and slow motion for the moments of impact. The brilliant silver masks and garb of the Persian elite army provide a major aesthetic highlight, while cameos of a few magnificent creatures such as ogres, rhinos, and elephants do their best to liven scenes that mostly involve parrying and striking.
Viewers seeking sleek cinematography, spear chucking, and sword wielding will get their money’s worth from 300, although they shouldn’t expect much else.
– Scott Morrow
300
Director: Zack Snyder
117 minutes, Warner Bros.
300themovie.warnerbros.com
Opened nationwide 3/9/07