This is sparrrrttttaaaa (300 (2 DVDs))

Member Name: stevepeto

Product:	300 (2 DVDs)
Date:	26/03/09 (273 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: story, action, look aand feel, special effects, story

Disadvantages: nothing

Ok ok, not the most original title, but still I think it is the best quote. This review is on the 2 disc region 1 set.

** Movie **
After the disappointments (for me) that were Troy and Alexander I was crying out for a good old, ancient history, kick arse battle film. The previous film that had whet my appetite historically wise at least being Ridley Scott's Gladiator way back in 2000. 300 as it turned out was to be that movie that was crying out for.

Based on the graphic novel by writer/cartoonist, Frank Miller. 300 is his take on the Battle of Thermopylae which took place in 480BC. The novel and the film concentrating almost wholly on the 300 Spartan troops who helped delay 100,000 (maybe more) Persians at the narrow pass called the hot gates.

The basis of the story is simple. The Persians are coming. Their massive army is conquering all the known world and self proclaimed god leader Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) has sent messengers to Sparta demanding that King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) submit and kneel before him. With that offer being rejected in truly Spartan fashion Leonidas, unable to sent a proper army due to political manoeuvrings, gets together 300 warriors and marches North (meeting with other Greek troops along the way) to meet the Persians at the Hot Gates which is what I know from my history lessons as Thermopylae. It is here that the Spartans meet and frustrate Xerxes and his massive Persian Army. What follows is the visual feast that is 300.

I will dispense with my one and only negative point that I have about this film right at the start and that is David Wenham's (Dilios) voiceover. At the beginning of the film it isn't as bad as it only crops up here and here, but towards the end of the movie it is used quite excessively and for some reason it really grates on me (although it didn't when I saw the film at the cinema). I have asked others and they are not bothered by it at all so I guess it is a purely personal thing. But for me he sounds like a cross between Inspector Clouseau and Obi Wan Kenobi, it isn't good.

But as I said this for me is the only negative in the film, even the hint of Scottish accent from Butler does not detract from Leonidas at all, in fact Gerard Butler IS King Leonidas, his physique and the strength of his character and the way he carries himself and delivers his lines were so strong that I am convinced that the real Leonidas spoke with a slightly Scottish accent. He is absolutely superb in his role, and looks every inch the leader of a nation of warriors. I would go so far as to wager that a high percentage of males leaving the cinema shouted "this is Sparta" at every available opportunity and wished wholeheartedly that they were soldiers of Sparta. The speeches that he gave his men, and his actions on screen gave me that little tingle down the spine that made me believe that his men would indeed follow him to hell.

But as good as Gerard Butler is 300 is so much more than just him oozing power and passion onto our screens, it is about making a stand for something that you believe in, it is about not giving up in the face of extremely bad odds and doing the best that you can... and believe me the odds are extremely bad. Zack Snyder has taken Frank Millers graphic novel and really given it a life and purpose outside of the pages of a book.

We do not spend all of our time at the battle; we also go back to Sparta where Queen Gorgo (Lena Hedley) tries to convince the politicians, particularly Theron (Dominic West) to send troops to Leonidas's aid. I think Hedley and Butler have a great screen attraction; I was quite convinced that she was his queen and he was her king, for example the look that passes between them before Leonidas dispenses with the Persian messenger says so much more than words could, he is seeking her acceptance even though as king he need not do so. West as the politician Theron is quite loathsome and you constantly wish bad things to happen to him. He obviously plays his role extremely well as I could not stand the man by the end of the film, he is manipulative and comes across as particularly slimy.

For those of us that know our history (at least that version that we were taught) then we know what happens in the end, but that by no means spoils the journey; and it is a fantastic journey. The fight scenes drop into slow motion so that you can see the ballet of battle in action and gaze in awe at the carnage of it all, although I have to say that the film is not as gory as I thought it may have been given the subject matter at least not what I would call gory; yes there are decapitations, blood and limbs coming off, but it is done in an artistic way, if that is possible.

As you can tell I loved this film with only the talk over grating me; on the second watching, everything else about it; from the stunning visuals to the fight scenes were all top drawer, I can only recommend that you buy the disk put it in the player and wonder how so many eight packs got onto the screen at one time. This is my review, this is Spaarrttaaaa!

** Presentation: **

Film mainly on green screen the image is a joy to behold, heavily produced the film looks exactly like a graphic novel come to film, the rich reds and browns look fantastic on my setup. The 5.1 Surround also performed with the sounds of battle reverberating around my living room, but not at the expense of the dialogue.

** Extras: **

>> Audio Commentary with director Zack Snyder, writer Kurt Johnstad and director of photography Larry Fong <<
The guys talk us through all the elements of making the movie, pointing out how shots was made and pointing out details that we may miss just by watching the film normally, it is a good documentary and worthy of a watch.

>> Featurette: The 300- Fact or Fiction? <<
A documentary that speaks to historians, Zach Snyder and Frank Miller on this interpretation of the battle as well as real history. Frank admits that the fighting of the Wolf was made up, put in as an allegory to the actual battle itself where he traps the wolf between narrow rocks. He goes on to reveal other little titbits of information about the movie and we also get to lean something about the real history of the time.

>> Who Were the Spartans? The warriors of 300 <<
A very short documentary that gives some information about life as a real Spartan.

>> Frank Miller Tapes <<
A biography of sorts on Frank Miller and his train of thought behind 300.

>> Making of 300 <<
Fairly short making of which is really more of a chat with some of the actors about the film, It shows some really good clips of the film but overall is very weak as a "making of" section.

>> Making 300 in images <<
Montage of quick fire images depicting scenes from the film, each image as less than a second on screen before it is replaced by another, a pointless extra really dropped in as filler.

>> Deleted Scenes <<
Zack Snyder talks about three scenes that were deleted from the film. Short, but nice to see the deleted scenes. Personally I think they were good choices to have been deleted.

>> Webisodes: Behind the Scenes Peeks <<
Some short pieces that explain certain aspects of the film, from production design through to some of the characters within the film. Some bits repeat themselves from other areas of the extras but overall I found them an interesting watch.

** Overall: **
This was my best film of 2007, apart from the talk-over (and even then only towards the end of the film) I loved every moment, the grand opulence of the Persians against the grit and toughness of the Spartans, recommended.

© This review is entirely my own work but may have been cross posted elsewhere. MAY also be published under the name sjp1966 on Ciao UK and Ciao US and also under sjp1966 on the Digital Lard website to which I am a contributor, as well as cross posted to IMDB external reviews, and possibly other places too.

Summary: see review for overall opinion