Dead bore

Rating: 2/10 (31 March 2007)

What a dead bore!
I just saw this movie and was really disappointed. I just don't understand the hype on this movie. OK, the plastic is perfect, but the movie is only plastic: slow motions, soundtrack, fights... But. The fights are highly unrealistic. For example: the first mêlée is a charge. Persians attack and Spartans block with their shields. Instead of being hack and slash, it is a push game. I just cant get it. The overall thrill factor of the fights hardly reaches a level of 1 on a scale of 10.
This movie is based on the Thermopyles battle where an alliance of 7000 Greeks coming from 31 independent cities including 1000 (not 300) Spartans and led by Leonidas the 1st fought more than 200.000 Persians. No oracle forbid this battle. The number of 300 really was the number of Spartan warriors remaining while they knew the battle was lost. The historic value of this movie is worth 3 because of the betrayal of Elephant-man which is true.
What are the values shown in this movie? To my opinion, it has to be understood as a "support GIs in Irak" underlying message: The Persians are the evil barbaric Muslims. Spart represents the democracy that stand but does not surrender. The evil oracle receiving gold to betray Leonidas represents the anti patriotic media asking for the end of the war. I could continue this parallel for long, but I wont. I will only add that I see ( Yeah, it is my opinion and you are allowed not to agree) a major difference between Thermopyles and Irak: Spartans and generally Greeks defended their land against Persia, while GIs are invading Iraki land. The subtlety of the political message is worth 2.
Hence the global note I gave this movie: 2.
Watch out... For something else.