About 45 minutes into 300 I looked at my watched and thought to myself ‘this movie is shit’. An hour later as the end credits roll, I thought one word – ‘awesome’. It certainly is a movie of two halves.
The film tells the story of the ancient battle of Thermopylae in which 300 Spartan warriors (hence the name) fought the whole of an invading Persian army. Led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), the Spartans must stop the Persians before they reach Sparta and conquer their beloved country Will they hold out? And more importantly, will they survive?
First up, this is a beautiful film to watch. Filmed entirely on greenscreen in an old warehouse, the film has a similar look and feel to Sin City. Shot primarily in dark blacks and greys with a dash of red from the Spartan’s capes, the film plays like a moving graphic novel with some truly stunning shots. Watch out for King Leonidas discussing civilisation as his soldiers calmly plunge their spears into half dead Persians.
Given its unique look and feel, it’s a pity that director Zack Snyder couldn’t match it with substance. The opening 45 minutes is the standard introduction for a battle movie – we see quickly how our protagonist becomes a great warrior, an enemy declares war, the council is reluctant to enter into such a war so our hero takes a small bank of warriors off to overcome the odds of the massive Persian army. And the opening wouldn’t be complete without the fleeting moment of sentimentality as our warrior leaves behind his loved ones. All pretty boring really but the promise of the great battle to come gets you through.
And when the fighting starts, its been well worth the wait. The film has been amply called ‘warporn’ – a particularly suitable title for a film with shot after shot of decapitations, limbs flying off, blood spurting onto the screen and logic defying, muscular, bare chested warriors covered in blood and sweat. The film hasn’t got the most substance but my, the final hour certainly makes up for it in terms of sheer entertainment.
Gerard Butler pulls of the role of the King particular well, the only flaws being his massive, oddly shaped beard (what the fuck?) and the clumsy dialogue which saddles the whole film: neither of which is his fault. The rest of the cast are also ably competent in their roles but the true star here is the stunning special effects.
Summary
If you like your movies with a bit of substance then this is not for you. If, however, you are just looking for some mindless entertainment then this should be right up your street.
Score - 6/10
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