Fantasy battle epic

Rating: 10/10 (18 September 2009)

Quite simply, one of the best films I have ever seen. Based on a series of comics of the same name by the legendary Frank Miller , this is to historical epics what Sin City is to film noir. Inspired by the infamous tale of 300 Spartans holding back a mighty Persian army, this is more fiction than fact, containing a strong fantasy element that may come as as surprise. Sure, the characterisations are two dimensional, but this is not about great characterisation, simply bloodshed and mayhem. Possibly the most bloodthirsty movie I have ever seen, this stylises the violence in a way I have never before seen, whilst at the same time borrowing liberally from The Matrix along the way. Slow-motion slice and dice sequences are sprinkled into the battle scenes, and there is heavy use made of CGI, though for once this merely serves to enhance the experience, not detract from it. Huge battle sequences go on for minutes at a time, but not once do you get bored and, cleverly, the blood factor increases as the movie progresses. In the first battle, there is next to no blood drawn, but by the climax arms, heads and legs are being lopped off at will. Visually sumptuous in terms of costume, sets and backgrounds, this sits somewhere between the world of cinema and the world of gaming as, clearly, the events portrayed are unrealistic, but are no less compelling as a result. A superb movie.