Not a bad film, just not the masterpiece it promised

Rating: Null/10 (10 March 2007)

300 was one of my personal most anticipated films of this year. That being said, of course it was a letdown for me. However, it manages to raise above the mediocre line as far as films are concerned.
It's weaknesses were bad dialogue, which was overly dramatic and came off sounding silly, and it's length. It dragged in many places and could've done better without going into the needless details it did.
The film's high point was it's beauty. The whole movie was beautiful, even the terrifying immortals and Xerxes' concubines, as well at the battlefield, were all beautiful in their horror. It has an amazing atmosphere and style not found in many movies. As far as acting, I hand it to Gerard Butler, who gives his best in everything, and David Wenham and Rodrigo Santoro who impressed me.
However, the main issue of the film is that it never knows to which audience it caters to. Is it to the Miller fans, and graphic novel enthusiasts? Or is it to the teenagers leftover from Sin City, who love gore and sex, but would be bored by a simple historic film? Or even to the adults who enjoyed other epic movies? It never quite makes up it's mind about this. It tries to be edgy and trendy, and even at times to be shocking, and fails at this, it all seems a little silly and out of place. It fails at the very thing that makes other graphic novel and comic movies succeed.
I rated it a 7. If you like historical pieces, war movies, stories of bravery, are a hardcore Miller fan, or are just looking for a good movie to see, try this one out. However, don't get your hopes for masterpiece up too high.