Film: 300
Tagline
Prepare for glory!
Plot
In 480 BC, there is a famous battle known as the Battle of Thermopylae. The Persian King Xerxes, who considers himself to be a God among men, is out to conquer the world with his vastly growing army. He plows through countries, enslaving the people to do his bidding but rewarding those who come without a fight. Now its Sparta’s turn to succumb, but Xerxes underestimates the will power that belongs to the fearless Spartans. The Spartan’s are bred to be fierce warriors that honor their freedom. Even the women are fierce enough for they must stand proud beside their warriors.
King Leonidas will not allow the Persians to take over because he knows that Sparta will fall to slavery if they give him. Without the blessing of the council and the Gods, Leonidas gathers a small group of 300 men to follow him to Thermopylae where they will fight to keep the Persians from entering Greece. According to history, this is the battle that helped inspire all of Greece to come together to fight the Persians.
Acting
Who doesn’t like 300 good looking men with mighty fine abs? Despite the lovely look of the movie, the action was superb. And the actors did wonderfully in their portrayal of my favorite army to read about in history. Gerard Butler as King Leonidas was a good choice. He had the appearance of a mighty king who was ready to defend his country against any who threatened them. Lena Headey was satisfactory as the Queen. Her part was not seen as that important by some but she did a good job of playing a dedicated wife and mother who wanted nothing more than to help defend Sparta as well as bring her husband back home alive. The entire cast was great though.
Verdict: This was one of the best movies I have seen. The fighting style was true to that of the real Spartans. All in all, the movie went along with history. The visual effects were amazing, i.e. slow motion clips and the scenery appearance. Frank Miller’s comic book, and the kickass Spartans of history, were brought to the big screen wonderfully.