Best film yet this year!

Rating: 10/10 (24 March 2007)

300 is an epic tale of war, pride, determination, and spirit. Set several centuries before the birth of Christ, in a time were Modern Greece was divided into many tiny countries called ''city states'', it tells the story of one of those states-Sparta.
Sparta is a powerful military state, it's warriors are Iron hard in their personalities as a result of a tough training program in youth, which molded them, into the fineist soldiers on the ancient Greek continent, as a result they stand out as an exceptionally powerful kingdom, led by none other than the great warrior king, Leonidas.
But that is changing, a MASSIVE army is invading Greece, it is the army of the huge and terrible Persian Empire, ruled by the cruel, and much feared King Zerkzeez, who has set his sights on conquering the Greek states.
King Zerkzees sends a messenger with a small part of his army to demand that Sparts surrender to him and as proof of their obedience, give him an offering of Earth, and water. In a demonstration of Spartan spirit and warrior ship, King Leonidas and his bodyguards kill the Persian messenger and his troops, setting off a war.
King Zerkzees leads his army to Sparta, intent on conquering it and the other Greek states. Leonidas meanwhile, seeks permission from a group of Supernatural beings who are the guardians of Sparta to battle the Persians, the guardians decline, but Leonidas brings 300 troops to fight the Persians anyway. But no one, not even the king is above the law in Sparta, and thus King Leonidas is breaking it.
King Zerkzees sends one of his generals with a legion of his troops, to demand a surrender. The Persian generals troops are useless, but he is armed with a huge whip, which he badly injures several Spartan's with, before being defeated, and held at the point of a Spartan sword, they let him go, ordering him to tell king Zerkzeez that the Spartans are not slaves. The Persian general replies before leaving that their civilians will be slaves but by noon they will be dead men.
A deformed Spartan asks king Leonidas for permission to fight to redeem himself(the disabled are killed shortly after birth in Sparta, but this one's parents fled with him). Due to his deformity, Leonidas decides he cant fight. Heartbroken, the soldier betrays and joins the Persians.
King Zerkzees, and king Leonidas meet, and Leonidas is once again offered a chance to surrender, being offered anything he wishes. Leonidas refuses, saying even Zerkzeez can bleed, and leaves.
The Spartan's and Persians begin battling, and the Spartans are defeating the invaders, which is surprising as King Zerkzees. The Persians have in their army such terrors as captured rhinoceroses, gigantic elephants with Persian troops riding them into battle to do damage with them, a huge hulk of a man who is big enough to send troops flyng with blows, and survive a wound threw the eye, a similes hulking brute slightly smaller and with sword/claw like hands, and an army of elite troops called the immortals. The Spartan army manages to defeat them all, showing that although vastly outnumbered by the Persians, the Spartan's have a spirit, and warrior ship that can challenge anything. But when most of the Sparta troops desert King Leonidas, and Sparta wont send him more, he must face the showdown of his life against Zerkzeez army with the few that remain on his side. Even with all of their spirit and Spartan ferocity, can they win when now so outnumbered? Especially when the Persians have discovered a secret path the spartan's have been using to their advantage.
the good- First I would like to say that this film is very visually arresting. The color scheme shows shades of dark blue in the sky, and in the mountains that really gives a feel of true dark, gruesome warfare. The color scheme is truly marvelous.
Second The battle scenes are spectacular. Better than those in troy. It's very gory with several severed heads etc..., which adds to the entertainment, and epic feel of the battles.
Third some of the performances are magnificent such as the Spartan Queen, and King Zerkzeez.
Fourth the sets really take you back to ancient times. The costumes are marvelous, and the general feel of the whole thing is awesome!
the bad-King Leonidas makes a less than inspiring protagonist, and some of the acto0rs are weak in their performances.
What I didn't understand was what the two strange monster men were. This movie is also very derivative, some Lord of the Rings, some gladiator, some troy, some star wars, Brave Heart etc... but it is the good kind of derivative where all of the best elements of the greats are brought together in a stylish way.
Overall I would recommend this to fans of Lord of the Rings, Gladiator, Troy, and Braveheart, people who like movies like those should like this two.