300

Jaw dropping entertainment at its finest.

300 is a film that exceeds. Some criticize the lack of a complex plot, but I found it to be damn near perfect without one. The characters are nicely developed and exude some standard characteristics that make them easy to follow. The story is simple and straight to the point. 300 has visuals unlike you have ever seen. This makes the film stand out in a sea of cheesy remakes and plot driven indies.

The simple plot is one of my favorite parts to this movie. Unlike a film such as Gladiator, in which I fell asleep not once but twice, 300 doesn’t bullshit around. This is one aspect that makes it really stand out as a strong film. It feels raw as it epically portrays the nature of its warrior characters. Within 20 min of the film starting these guys are off to fight and they don’t ease up until the very end. That is the very nature of a graphic novel, of which this story is derived. Frame by frame things move along at a quick pace and keep the audience right in it. These Spartan warriors didn’t have time to sit around and plot out all their moves. They were on a tight schedule so why should the film try to fluff it up with story down time. I don’t think it should have, and I was glad it didn’t. If you want fluffy story go watch Pearl Harbor.

Each of the characters is strong in spirit, which ultimately makes perfect sense, as this is more or less the theme of the movie. It was also refreshing to see some new faces on the screen. Turns out, Brad Pitt is not the only one that can be an epic badass. Gerard Butler is perfectly cast as King Leonidas. He pulled it off with ease and a solid sense of power. Lena Headey nailed her role as well and gave a great performance as a commanding queen.

The special effects speak for themselves. And you must see it to know. They depict a very futuristic feel to a very ancient time. The combination is one of a kind and noteworthy. The score is not what you expect from an “epic” period piece. In a rock’n’roll sort of way, the music adds to the film’s grittiness perfectly. Something along the lines of what A Knight’s Tale was trying to do back in 2001, but we all know how that turned out.

Zack Snyder does a great job in the director’s and the writer’s chairs. He has created a beautiful film with the help of the recently risen star Frank Miller. Audiences love this movie too. Ticket sales have been record breaking and almost nobody has bad things to say. The graphic visuals and the soundtrack keep the film edgy and modern. The story and the acting make it convincing. 300 is a really fun film and it exceeds because it does exactly what it was made to do. It entertains.

GRADE: A

TRAILER: http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/300/trailer2/