Acting is the number one casualty in this battle!

Rating: Null/10 (23 March 2007)

Magnificently filmed, form wins hands down over content in "300" and proves that while you can pour bucks into creating the look of a graphic novel, sticking to the same style of writing only causes a knock-on effect that results in acting that at best is cardboard-cutout, at worst (and mainly) excruciatingly campy. The very unfortunate, painful voice over only underlines it all. Personally I had to block out everything but the visuals and the real hero of the film is the Cinematographer, the Hair, Makeup and Art Department. Gerrard Butler's intense gaze holds it somewhat together, but even then one is more impressed by his massive pectorals than his mostly hidden, massive talent. Once again, Hollywood has created a nice-looking, high production-value D-movie. Perhaps if, following in the footsteps of "The Passion of the Christ" and "Apocalypto", the producers and director had chosen to have everyone speak in ancient Greek, it might have been bearable, but in English, one can only cringe and bear it whenever one of the actors has to utter a line. The superbly gifted Rodrigo Santoro, as Xerxes, is especially ludicrous. Buried within his makeup, the fact that you can't recognize him becomes a plus: at least he might live to act another day.