Orgasmic

Rating: 10/10 (10 March 2007)

300 is a plethora of awesomeness. Awesomeness that only magnificent testosterone-driven battle scenes can deliver. And deliver they did! Oh, how the blood and limbs fly! I'm not a sadistic violence-loving fan of Hostel or anything, but while watching 300 I was constantly bloodthirsty for more. More of that awesome regular-mo/slow-mo Persian ass-kicking that Gerard Butler proved to be great at. Every battle scene was a superb montage of blood and guts, interlaced with Persians falling off cliffs and Butler and company shouting chilling battle chants.
300's cinematography was dazzling, although much of this was more post-production work than camera work. Nonetheless, Sparta, wilderness, and the "Hot Gates" are all mesmerizing to look at: think a talented artist's depiction combined with realistic CGI to create surreal dreamscapes of an epic scale.
Undoubtedly, this film's selling point is its monumental action sequences, but I have to credit the acting of both Gerard Butler and Lena Headey, here, too. Butler, who I haven't really noticed before, is now at the forefront of my favorite actors. He's intense, serious, and unflinchingly awesome as King Leonidas. If I was ever to go into battle, I'd be happy to have him there. His character's wife, played by Lena Headey, was also terrific. Women tend to take the backseat in movies like this, but she played her character with strength and conviction, allowing her to shine in several of her scenes.
I was drooling for most of this movie. It was just so utterly amazing in a number of ways, especially, again, in its battle scenes. I'm confident that this movie will be received well for years to come, that it will age like fine wine. Red wine, if you catch my drift...