This is a retelling of a classic theme with clarity and breathtaking craftsmanship.

Rating: Null/10 (17 March 2007)

When I first saw the trailer, I thought, without much enthusiasm to watch it, "Oh, joy, doesn't seem like much to watch this spring on the big screen. It's just another video game animation come to life. I bet my teenager would feel right at home with this medium on the big screen. Where is the game controller?" "Spartacus", "Braveheart", and "Gladiator" came to mind and so this movie was not on my "Must See" list as a movie that would tell a timeless theme with any new insight or awareness.
Never judge a movie by it's trailer. Go see it!!!
For all its Matrix-like slow motion, video game animation overlay on real human beings, and timeless theme retelling that is predictable, the telling of the story is powerful and emotionally engaging. Each element of film, the music, the pacing of the plot, the superb powerful performance of the actors, the artistry, the economy of direction in the battle scenes transports the viewer onto the battlefield to fight side by side, as Spartan, experiencing the heightened sense of awareness, with Leonidas and his queen. The movie moves the viewer to remember that the triumph of the noble human spirit in its freedom will always inspire one to live such a noble life in one's day to day battles against any tyranny, whatever that tyranny may be, to create a better world for those loved.
I look forward to buying it on DVD.
Go see it!!!