No surprises

Rating: 7/10 (20 August 2007)

A long time ago, on a continent far, far away, 300 (give or take) Spartans held off the advances of the invading Persian army. They did this by choosing to make their stand at Thermopylae (the Gates of Fire), which channeled the Persian army into anarrow, more manageable form. The efforts and sacrifices that the real 300 made WERE heroic, selfless, eternal, and all the other larger-than-life concepts that this movie is not.
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it, cuz I did. It was several hours of beautiful, well-done, empty distraction, which made me appreciate my home theater setup. It's just a shame that they took something that really IS great, and turned it into something that is satisfied by telling you how great it is. It's a lot like comparing the great pyramid of Giza, with the Luxor casino in Vegas. It just feels like a cheap (while still completely enjoyable) knockoff instead of a tribute or homage. Read Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" for the real(er) thing.