The 300th Film to Follow This Formula

Rating: 6/10 (16 March 2007)

To those who have seen Sin City or are familiar with his work, this film's claim to fame is summed up by the name of its original creator: Frank Miller. In other words, what we have here is a so-so story wrapped up in very tasty, bombastic sugar coating. To its credit, unlike Sin City, this film at least tells one unified story and serves some purpose as a whole. Unfortunately, while it makes for entertaining viewing and may wow many film fans with its powerful style, it doesn't have much to offer beyond that.
The main problem with this film is that it follows an over-used formula ("tragic epic with hope out of the ashes") and doesn't give us anything to set itself apart and make it worthwhile in its own right.
Think about it. Once you strip away the visual flair and comic book stylings, what's left? A bunch of shallow characters who behave predictably and a tried-but-true plot that will always work on some emotional level, but does nothing on its own to separate an epic movie from the pack.
Worse, the over-the-top nature of the film, intended to be the main individualizing element of the movie, serves in many cases to distance the viewer from the emotional impact of the story. The death of a certain character, for example, was shown so graphically that the viewer could not help but sit there and gawk at the gore rather than feel the emotion intended for the moment. As with Sin City, the graphicness of this movie becomes almost pornographic, and it creates a combined effect of shock and distance. The shock, of course, releases endorphins, which is why people keep coming back for more (and more intense) films with this kind of graphic brutality; it's a physical addiction. The distance, though, is what really damages the film. When the attention is drawn so consistently by reactions like "holy crap, what did I just see", how could anyone pay much attention to pithy concerns like story or character?
But you know what? I have a soft spot for epics. And this one does have all of those great spine-tingling epic moments; my personal favorite is the part where the hero roars a powerful speech before pointing his weapon at the enemy and urging his troops onward. It is also visually and aurally excellent--that is undeniable. So I won't lie and say that I didn't enjoy it, because I did.
Frank Miller's 300 is an experience, to be certain. It's entertaining, and it has flash and style. So what if it doesn't offer much more than that? It's still worth your six bucks, especially while it's in theaters. Go see it, but don't expect it to have the depth or staying power of a great epic.