Another mutilation

Rating: Null/10 (6 June 2007)

Why don't filmmakers read a bit of history rather than ask themselves what would appeal to a 13 year old. No Spartan mother would need to be held back as her son went to the agoge. Spartan kings were exempt from the agoge. The agoge was not a 'dump them in the wilderness' thing, it was a controlled and disciplined training regimen. Add to this that the ephors were depicted as dirty old men on a mountaintop. They weren't. They were elected magistrates with much power and respect. So the historical errors piled up quickly. The Gothic atmosphere didn't belong at all. The battle scenes were quite good mostly, except that Spartans didn't fight with the main aim being to display their abs and pecs. They wore breastplates and other protection. The Persian 'mad giant' was a stupid addition, as were the elephants and rhino. Xerxes was utterly ridiculous. Neither would he have put himself within sword range of leonidas, who would have killed him without hesitation and thus ended the whole invasion. Overall, this movie was ninety percent junk and belongs in the lower B grade horror genre.