Don't know what all these folks were complaining about

Rating: 10/10 (6 February 2015)

Well, almost 9 years after its release, I've watched this movie just the day before yesterday.
What do I have to add after so many (good and bad) reviews? Only that I don't know what the negative reviewers were complaining about. What were they expecting? Didn't they know this movie was based upon a Frank Miller graphic novel? Didn't they know this wasn't supposed to be an intellectual movie? Didn't they know this film wasn't supposed to be factual? I can only wonder, since after watching this (and having read the original comic book by Frank Miller before), I have only positive things to say about this movie. I think it's a true masterpiece, in many senses.
There's no spoilers coming, don't worry. After all these years, every detail about this film is well known, right? All I need to say is that this is a real bliss for the eyes, a truly beautiful aesthetic experience. Every scene, every shot was masterfully done. It's truly a graphic novel turned into a Hollywood film- sometimes it seems you're reading the graphic novel on the big screen, it does not feel like a movie. Perfect to see, like very few films I had seen before. Also, I must say something about the characterization and the acting. The Spartans are, obviously, more real than the Persians, or the other people portrayed on the movie. There are lots of fantasy characters. I have no problem with that. Now, the Spartans are exactly as we imagine them- virile, inflexible, rude, men in the true sense of this word. About the acting, many people have noticed it before me, but I also need to say: GERARD BUTLER was superb! He does really look like he's come from a time machine, a true Spartan come alive before our eyes! And he does act like a king is supposed to act, his facial expression, his gesture, his way of speaking: everything is perfect. Really didn't know what to expect from this actor prior to seeing this film, but now I admire him a lot for this brilliant effort. The rest of the casting (if we can speak thus with Michael Fassbender included among the "supporting characters") is also very good, I like the way the actress who plays Leonidas' wife looks calm, brave, strong-headed: this is exactly what I think a Spartan queen should look like.
On a side-note, Rodrigo Santoro (the king Xerxes, the villain of the film) is a Brazilian actor who does have some talent, though he's not on pair with Butler. Here we don't hear his true voice, because he speaks very softly, and the Persian God/King wasn't supposed to be a gentleman. All in all, Xerxes is not on screen for a lot of time, but whenever he is, he's very convincing.
So, if you are reading this I suggest you to ignore the negative reviews and watch this movie for yourself. I really loved what I saw. Don't be discouraged by the violence too, it's not present most of the time, and even when the guys are butchering each other, the scenes are never gory, they are still beautifully made. That's what I have to say about this film really: it's a very beautiful experience, a true feast for the eyes.