Historical inaccuracies overshadowed by special effects

Rating: 8/10 (24 January 2008)

I've just seen this film on DVD, having missed it when it came to the cinema. I was impressed with the special effects and I was very moved by the final scenes. On the negative side there really wasn't much of a plot - this could be forgiven if the story line had followed the historical facts, but it didn't. The characterisations were a bit thin and I didn't feel that any attempt was made to get under the skin of Leonidas and explain what made him tick. Having said all that, the action sequences more than made up for all the other shortcomings and almost despite myself I was gripped and enthralled by it. Overall I found it very entertaining and well worth spending two hours!