This MOVIE ROCKS

Just saw 300 Saturday night!

This movie was awesome. I had seen the 1962 movie entitled 300 Spartans a couple of years ago on AMC and loved it. So when I saw the trailers for this movie, I was stoked. Mostly I was excited because of the visual appeal - it was pure eye candy. This movie definitely goes on my favorites with Braveheart and Gladiator.

Ben Witherington has an excellent review of the movie here. Included is an excerpt from his review:

For those of us who grew up reading the Greek and Latin classics, the story of Leonidas and the 300 Spartans was certainly the stuff of legends. 300 men hold off the entire Persian army under Xerxes for a considerable period of time, inspiring all of the Greek city states to rise up and resist the invaders in an even more all out battle later at Platea. I have actually always wanted to see a movie about Spartan culture and its 'warrior; mentality and fierce independence, a culture that defies most modern notions of machismo by having women who were educated and trained to be as athletic and ferocious as the men, in many cases. This culture was so freedom loving and fiercely independent that they had a hard time even co-operating with other Greek city states, even when their independence was on the line. With this story line, Frank Miller (of Sin City fame) brings to the screen an action thriller in comic book style and color (sepia tones and reds, with some scenes reminiscent of Gladiator) with larger than life action and characters and hyperbole. Surprisingly enough it works rather well. The story is only minimally diddled with, and there is very little filler, or unnecessary sub-plotting added. The focus of the movie not surprisingly is on Leonidas, a few stirring speeches he makes, and the battle scenes themselves. There are of course CG action sequences that are larger and more dramatic than life, and we have the usual gargoyles that show up in comic books, but not actually at the battle of Thermopylae. But then this was not intended to be a documentary, but rather a hyperbolic dramatization.

More of this excellent review here:

Caution: Movie is Rated R for graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity. (I always feel the need to caution people when I make movie recommendations - always know fully the movie you are going to watch!)