A Graphically Stunning War Movie

Rating: 7/10 (20 March 2007)

This might be lost in a sea of opinions but I'll write it anyway.
I went to see this movie without knowing anything about it ("It's about a war," my friend summarized for me) or reading the graphic novel beforehand and came out positive I had gotten my money's worth...until I came here.
As an amateur photographer and would-be graphic designer, yeah, I was pretty impressed and in complete shock and awe the entire way through. But I assume most people agree that the stylization was unlike anything ever before seen or completely hated it.
As for the plot that many have told me either didn't exist or was completely lousy, I disagree with both. The plot existed, though weak at times during the battle scenes, and was compelling enough for a movie about war. In fact, I think there are some lessons to be had here: the noble king willing to die for his principles and only asks what he gives in return (complete devotion to the cause), the queen, hovering between oppression and freedom, who, despite her missteps, attempts to protect the man she loves and follow her own moral compass, and the masses though ignorant and open to deception but sometimes still capable of learning the truth. Nothing new but definitely things worth repeating. To those who think I'm reaching too far, they're not reaching far enough (or even too far those allegory-of-the-war-in-Iraq-sayers) or are being too critical to see the obvious.
Those who believe this is a ripoff of LotR, Braveheart, etc., I encourage you to read the Bible or at least research its impact on the entire literary world (as I'm not a religious person and would never ask an irreligious person to read the Bible in its entirety). All of those 'original' movies and books you hold so dear to your heart take metaphors, allegories, and even their entire plots from the Bible itself. The Bible does cover nearly every topic or story you can possibly think of from your standard miracles to incest and fathers murdering their own daughters and reduces all those 'compelling' and 'interesting' plots to a few simple verses or short chapters.
This is a war movie, complete with battle scenes of unnecessary goriness, that covers the same morals and principles of any other movie promoting freedom and self-sacrifice to get it. This one's just so much prettier to look at.