Poor camera-work, bad editing and a dire script... but somehow fun.

Rating: 6/10 (6 December 2007)

300 is a film littered with poor camera-work, bad editing and has the unfortunate luck of being lumbered with a dire script. The only redeeming features are its stunning visuals, which do manage to set it apart from its Hollywood contemporaries. 300 is a film that has apparently been heralded as an epic of battle like proportions (which it is not), it is visually though as exciting and pioneering as the cult-classics "Tron", "Back to the Future II" and even "Willow" and this is because upon release it has showed some sort of visual cinematic progress, yet it is likely that this is also the reason it will be a cult film in many years to come. Subsequently Zack Snyder's utilisation of some slow motion, CGI and irrelevant narrative cutaways turn probably an hours worth of film footage into two - and it shows.
300 attempts to build credibility on the ideals of loyalty and honour, but it is no "Gladiator". The fight scenes are poorly choreographed (the fast pace editing only illustrates this further) and the tight use of camera-shots fail to transpire on anything less than a very large television I did feel that this type of camera work in the battle/fight scenes was only employed to gloss over the poor choreography. I also felt that the lack of establishing shots prior to battle scenes failed to give any sense isolation among the Spartans or any feeling of companionship, the explanation of loyalty and camaraderie has only be left to the poor script. Snyder has tried too hard to stylise the fighting and battle scenes and although it looks good, it serves no real narrative purpose apart from a few moments, the most note worthy being the decapitation of the young Spartan and the scarring of Xerxes.
Finally, the only gratification for 300 is for those that were fortunate to see it at the cinema or who have a 46inch HDTV, but if you're really after good visuals then buy an X-Box and indulge yourself in the cut-scenes of Halo 3 because that is that is where the films real competition lies, in a video game!