I was pleased.

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2007)

It's hard to describe how good this movie was without falling to the same cliché terms that so many others have used to describe it ("blown away" seems to be the number one description used so far). It was a truly great film and I will probably see it again in the theaters before purchasing it on DVD (the DVD release date can't come soon enough).
Artistically, it's a triumph. The visuals are amazing, the acting is solid and the story is utterly riveting. If I can go the entire length the first time without checking my watch to see how long I've been there, then you know it's a good film.
One thing for certain, this film definitely has Frank Miller's Thumbprint on it. Although I only have Sin City as a reference, the two films really have a lot in common. Both films have done a great service to Mr. Miller by translating Graphic Novel Frames to Film Shots in a flawless manner. They also both carry Frank Miller's vision of Heroes. The Heroes in both of these films are not goody-goody. They can be violent and at times a little sadistic, but they never waver from their mission and have a very cut-&-dry goal and means to achieve their goal. The Villains are also true Frank Miller creations: Vile, often physically twisted beings with a "Might makes Right" philosophy. You will have to see both films to understand my point.
Oddly though, I left the first screenings of both Sin City and 300 with very different emotions. For Sin City, I found the violence to be somewhat unsettling. I walked out thinking "There are some really twisted people out there". I didn't have that feeling when leaving 300, even though the level of violence and brutality is about the same. Perhaps it was the time period setting for both movies. Sin City is set more or less in the modern era, so such violence seems excessive for our so-called civilized era. With 300, you realize it's set in 480 BC, so you kind of expect it to be Brutal. You expect Swords, Spears and Shields and you know it won't be pretty. Of course there is the possibility that Sin City just desensitized me enough that I was able to stomach 300 more easily.
To wrap up, 300 is definitely a movie to see for pretty much anybody old enough to be admitted to an R Rated movie. I think just about any adult can find something to like about this film. More than highly recommended.