Neutral

Rating: 5/10 (10 April 2007)

Based upon the Battle of Thermopylae, this movie is impressive in both it's pacing, carefully scripted dialog and visual images.
It is a testosterone laden movie boasting manhood and masculinity. Both heterosexual females and gay males should be pleased by the display of muscles flexing and skin. The script consistently sets up a one-two punch for dramatic impact and few of the words are wasted.
The story and the images are based upon Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comic book mini-series titled by the same name. The images and color palette on the screen come straight from the comic and it works very well.
With all this praise, you'd think the movie would get a higher rating from this review. Here are some reasons why it doesn't.
The story is very thin. It is essentially an excuse to show 300 men in bathing suits killing wave after wave of evil enemy. The setup isn't deep. The message of the movie isn't deep. The waves of enemies are intended to look more intimidating as the story progresses, but they actually look more stupid.
Like other Frank Miller projects which have jumped to the big screen, there is always a disturbing portrayal of women. This movie is not as bad as his others because it only shows the women as unfaithful or as lesbians. His part projects tend to display women as hookers, whores, or just plain trashy. It is the lack of positive female role models in his stories that tarnishes this work as well as everything in which he is involved.
The ending is not climactic. It is not poignant. It is not even clever. Given all the dramatic setup through the movie, it's actually very weak and anti-climactic.
Although I have no desire to own this or see it again, that may be simply because I'm not attracted to men nor their inner need to boast upon their manhood.
If the positives mentioned in this review are enticing to you, then clearly this movie is worth seeing. It is worth renting. It is worth buying the DVD. Otherwise hold out for a deeper more intellectual movie that has more respect for women and non-violent values.