Visually Stunning but the Story is Weak!

Rating: 4/10 (18 December 2007)

300 **
The movie starts off with a young Leonidus as a child preparing for manhood. The scene where the young boy fights a wolf is very magnificent. The next scene, we see an adult Leonidus preparing his son for manhood as the Persions try to overtake their land as well as many others. This sets the scene for 300.
300 was directed by Zack Snyder who made the terrifying remake of Dawn of the Dead and the the movie is based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller who also wrote the brilliant Sin City. Sin City had great special effects and a great story. 300 also has great special effects but the story is incredible weak. I sadly have to say it's one of the many, many, many cases where the visual effects start taking over the story.
It's not just the incredible visual effects that flaw the movie. The B story is boring and clichéd. Queen Gorgo tries to convince the counsel to send more soldiers for the aid of her husband, King Leonidus. However Theron has is own agenda. Personally, I don't understand what this has anything to do with the story, it just slows the movie down. My only guess is that Lena Headey and Dominic West needed more screen time. Plus, if you've seen any movie that takes place during the Roman and/or Greek times, then it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Theron has betrayed his own people. Last but not least, I think that Gerald Butler really overacted his part as King Leonidus.
Even thought 300 looks more like a video game, it's still more realistic than Troy and Alexander and there are some things to enjoy here. For instance, this movie has the most gorgeous decapitation scene, but there are more decapitation scenes to follow so it doesn't really make it that fascinating. 300 is visually stunning but the story falls flat on it's face.