"Spartans, prepare for glory!"

Rating: 8/10 (21 March 2007)

When writer Frank Miller was a mere five years old, his older brother took him to an opening day screening of "The 300 Spartans". That event remained permanently etched in his mind, and allowed Miller the luxury of years of research into the customs, traditions, training, weaponry and military strategy of the ancient Greeks. In 1998, his graphic novel was released as a series of books from Dark Horse Comics, with Lynn Varley supplying the painted visuals in a stunning work that garnered numerous awards, both for the material itself and the artists involved.
It was with some trepidation that I went to see the movie, as the few TV commercial ads I saw made it look like an advanced video game. By then though, the positive reviews had been piling up, from professional and amateur critics alike. Not to worry, though the degree of CGI involved in the filming is extraordinary, the actors themselves are very real. They had each other to work with, along with the singular artistic vision of director Zack Snyder, who kept copies of the '300' comic series on the set and referred to them daily to maintain the integrity of Miller's original work. In that regard, one might characterize the current film as a movie about a book about a movie, based on a real historical event. Of course liberties are taken in the telling of the story, but for veracity, you have history books. This piece is offered as entertainment, an often times brutal ballet of flashing swords and grisly hand to hand combat. The action scenes are further enhanced by a technique of speeding up and slowing down that helps concentrate the viewers attention. Be prepared for blood, but not in the spraying and pooling style of slasher flicks, here it's chunky and messy, crimson and muddy as befits the somber locale of Thermopylae, the ancient 'hot gates'.
To be balanced, a drawback of the movie might be the often clichéd dialog, spoken by Spartan friend and foe alike. However I found the appearance of Persian King Xerxes to be a cinematic and artistic achievement, an androgynous marvel who commands his screen time like no other villain I can think of.
This movie won't be everyone's idea of a good time, however action/adventure fans as well as followers of Frank Miller's work will be well pleased. It should certainly be seen on the big screen to take advantage of it's unique filming style, and to get a good glimpse of the next generation of movie making.