So far...

Rating: 9/10 (17 March 2007)

After exiting Oscar season so soon, this is when the playing field is open again. Nobody has any prior notions to movies, and it's a time to enjoy movies for just enjoyment.
Along comes 300.
Gawd...this movie exceeded any expectations that I had before hand. The graphics...don't even get me started. The whole thing is eye candy. Incredible fight scenes that truly top ANYTHING (and I mean ANYTHING) you've ever seen before. Incredible sets, CGi...it's just spectacular to imagine that it's ALL graphics! One of the best parts was the "sky of arrows", and if you haven't seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about.
The music is powerful and definitely helps out in fight scenes. You care for the characters, which is what holds a lot of "epic" war movies down. I liked how they went back and forth from King on the battlefield to the troubles back home. The audience was definitely engaged, and when
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dies...the audience clapped. It was awesome!! The characters are just so real and so well thought out, it's impossible to feel for their fight.
Gerard Butler is incredible. The work (he worked 8 hours a day for 1 year to get in shape) he put into this movie is just phenomenal. I will say there are points that he goes over the top, but in perspective, he's a war hero. He's ALLOWED to go over the top. He has true acting chops to pull off this role, and in my mind, deserves a Oscar nom for this role, then again, it's WAAAAAAAAY to early to say. Lena Headey and Dominic West also give powerful performances.
Overall, this is a film to watch for Oscar season next year, if for nothing else, it's incredible special effects.