Well crafted

Rating: 8/10 (7 April 2007)

You shouldn't go to this movie expecting a great historical telling of the Battle of Thermopylae, and I think most who make it to the theatre pretty much know what they are in for. And that is simply a stunning recreation of Frank Millers graphic, testosterone fueled vision of what it might have been like to be a Spartan at the time, facing those insurmountable odds yet willing to lay it all out for your family, your nation, your world.
I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. I knew it would be entertaining, action packed, and full of great visuals much like Miller's stunning Sin City. What I wasn't prepared for was the solid acting. Characters were real and dimensional, and well played by all.
We spent the extra few dollars and caught the IMAX version, which was well worth it. Surprised to see almost as many women at the showing as men, and judging by the comments as the credits rolled, this movie will appeal to the ladies as much as the guys. The strong portrayal of Queen Gorgo, by Lena Headey, is one of the reasons. And I'm sure the leather loin clothes on the guys, and all the bare pectoral real estate, might be another.
The violence is brutal, yet fantastical in typical comic book fashion. I found movies like Braveheart, or The Departed, to be much gorier. 300 is not a family movie by any stretch, yet it is neither a blood soaked slash and gash picture. It is more jagged and raw, within that logical, rigid Spartan ideal, which fits in perfectly with the visual and thematic tones director Zack Snyder went for with this picture.
I would watch this movie again, and probably enjoy it just as much.
Guys, don't be afraid to take the ladies to this one. Trade her for a chick flick and you'll both be glad you did.