"Gladiator" + "The Matrix" = Cool Combination

Rating: 8/10 (15 March 2007)

I saw the movie "300" last night, and to me, it was the best movie of 2007 so far. If, perhaps you decide to see this movie, please ensure you see it at a theater with a massive screen and with great sound. Or perhaps, you want to take it another step further and see the IMAX experience. Either way, you'll want to see this one.
The plot is simple: King Leonadas and his Spartan army of 300 are left no option but to defend Sparta from being taken over by the Persian army, consisting of a million soldiers. The Spartans decide that the only way to win (or kill as many as possible) is to wedge the Persians into a small gateway in the mountains so they can't get surrounded. There's more to the story than that, but that's all you really have to know.
"300" is truly a guy movie. The beginning is somewhat slow, but halfway through until the very end, it's just non-stop, graphic, brutal violence. Not that I'm complaining, I liked it. What makes the violence bearable and not over the edge is the fact that none of it is real; all of the blood and gore is computer generated, making it look more comic-book than "Saving Private Ryan" this-is-what-the-insides-of-a-human-actually-look-like graphic imagery. And it's more cool than disgusting. You become desensitized to the violence, and say "Well, they already killed thousands...What's wrong if this half-naked guy kills another 1,500?"
What puts asses in the seats for this movie really is the visual effects and cinematography. I remember two or three shots that really made the movie: they were 60 second, slow-motion, uncut shots during the battle sequences that reminded me of the bullet-time shot used in "The Matrix". Those shots alone made me want to watch the movie again; the choreography was just awesome. As I was saying before about seeing "300" in a good theater, the sound was very good and a huge screen would be appropriate for watching this major spectacle. Another plus is that the new trailers for "Grindhouse" and "Spider-Man 3" appear before the film. So in the end, everybody wins.
My recommendation: if you love blood and guts and "Gladiator" or "The Matrix" are one of your favorites, you have to see this gore-fest. If you're in the mood for a passionate, provocative, intelligent thriller with a fantastically good script, stay home and rent Borat or something.