300

Well you knew this was coming. What was Bob going to think of the highly anticipated and highly divisive "300"? It seems that with Zack Snyder's big screen version of Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name there are two schools of thought: 1) "It's AMAZING!" 2) "What absolute tripe!" So I will now proceed to alienate EVERYBODY by saying that ya know what, it's decent...but not great.
"300" is a movie filled with some things I liked a lot, and other things I really didn't. First off, I haven't read the original graphic novel, but it sure feels like I have. I feel like a good adaptation of something ought to maintain the spirit of the original work but also bring something new to the table. For much of the film Snyder really doesn't seem to be making his own movie, but simply re-creating a comic book and setting it to music. There are moments when he breaks away from this, such as a battle scene in which the outnumbered Spartans (of course they were outnumbered, I mean there were only...three...something, I don't remember the actual number) defend a narrow passage way. We hear the furious clash of shields as a Spartan shouts, "Is that the best you've got?!" It is intense and savage and I'm betting that it's true to the source material while at the same time being a movie instead of a comic on screen. This is a rare moment however, as most of the battle scenes are presented as slow motion ballet. It becomes very tiresome very fast. I get that a comic book film is going to be highly stylized, but if you're going to create a brutal battle scene then don't shy away from showing its brutality. Snyder employs more slow motion here than six whole episodes of "The A-Team." My brother and I have always felt that people fell in slow motion on "The A-Team" so the impact wouldn't hurt as much. That may sound like a digression on my part, but I'm wondering if Snyder had the same idea we did. This overdose of slo-mo and the fact that every frame of "300" was shot in front of a green screen actually led me to remark at one point, "Wow, look at those Persians falling off of that cliff...a whole six feet onto a P.E. wrestling mat."
I was also bothered by the fact that in "300," physical weakness seems to equal moral weakness. The uglier and more deformed you are, the more corrupt.
As I remarked in the opening however, "300" does have its strong points, not least of which is its cast. Gerard Butler (a long way from "The Phantom of the Opera") is terrific as King Leonidas. You never doubt for one second that these three hundred men would follow him to their deaths without a moment's hesitation. There is also fine supporting work from Vincent Regan as the King's Captain as well as David Wenham (Faramir from "Lord of the Rings") as Dilios, the man who honors the King's most important order. The real standout however is Lena Headey ("The Brothers Grimm") as Queen Gorgo. It is her plea that Sparta stand up to the tyranny of Xerxes that is "300's" finest moment. It is a plea that desperately needs to be heard today and the fact that it made it into a major Hollywood production is incredible.
For me "300" was very much worth watching, but ultimately a disappointment. I only wish it had been directed by someone who'd wanted to make a movie instead of a comic book.
So I now await your responses. Your criticisms of my take will probably blot out the sun, but I will fight in the shade!
6/10