Fantastic Art Direction and a Good Performance from Gerard Butler Cant Save this from Being a Disappointment

Rating: 5/10 (21 January 2008)

Remember that visually breathtaking trailer, you know, the one with the excellent Nine Inch Nails track "Just Like You Imagined" It came crashing along like the thunderstorm it promised to be back in 2007, but sadly promises can be broken. That said trailer should only be watched if your wanting to avoid this, at times inspired but often mixed baggage of a fantasy film.
The main problem with 300 is the pacing and overused CGI, but it doesn't help that pretty much every character here is immensely stereotyped in terms of gender and moral code. The actors led by a charismatic turn from Gerard Butler do a fair decent job at fitting into these roles, but one cant help feel a tad bit unsympathetic for these 300 men of Sparta. This combination of pacing and stereotyping results in a dumbing down of sorts, which is not Frank Millers fault.
The original novel this film does indeed stick close to, but things feel claustrophobic when the genre shouldn't be and the art direction whilst fantastic is rarely shot in full view by director Zack Snyder. This was a similar complaint I had with Sin City ,but I suppose for some, its suburban location benefited the film in a better way. Snyder leaves the art for the visceral shots but this is not what an "epic" fantasy novel is about . There is no artistic compromise to the film and there is nothing ultimately new here that will distinguish it from its other genre titles. Action, which was 300's main selling point is also something left to the imagination.
These rough and tough warriors clash, but that's actually all they do. After the same "push them back" formula is continued three times it gets damn monotonous and you wish that these Spartan boys would just whip out there sabers and get on with it. This does eventually happen, but only once. The rest of the time Snyder treats the action with too many slow motion effects and thus tension is reduced to a nought. It is here I find myself entertained but to a mind numbingly extent. A high rating it may have in 2008, but time, I believe will not be kind to this disappointing film.