In association with

300 (2 Disc Special Edition) [2007]
from Warner Home Video
starring Gerard Butler, Rodrigo Santoro, David Wenham, Michael Fassbender, Andrew Pleavin
directed by Zack Snyder

Features:

• Dolby
• PAL
• Subtitled
• Widescreen

Editorial Review:

Like Sin City before it, 300 brings Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's graphic novel vividly to life. Gerard Butler (Beowulf and Grendel, The Phantom of the Opera) radiates pure power and charisma as Leonidas, the Grecian king who leads 300 of his fellow Spartans (including David Wenham of The Lord of the Rings, Michael Fassbender, and Andrew Pleavin) into a battle against the overwhelming force of Persian invaders. Their only hope is to neutralise the numerical advantage by confronting the Persians, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), at the narrow strait of Thermopylae.

More engaging than Troy, the tepid and somewhat similar epic of ancient Greece, 300 is also comparable to Sin City in that the actors were shot on green screen, then added to digitally created backgrounds. The effort pays off in a strikingly stylised look and huge, sweeping battle scenes. However, it's not as to-the-letter faithful to Miller's source material as Sin City was. The plot is the same, and many of the book's images are represented just about perfectly. But some extra material has been added, including new villains (who would be considered "bosses" if this were a video game, and it often feels like one) and a political subplot involving new characters and a significantly expanded role for the Queen of Sparta (Lena Headey). While this subplot by director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) and his fellow co-writers does break up the violence, most fans would probably dismiss it as filler if it didn't involve the sexy Headey. Other viewers, of course, will be turned off by the waves of spurting blood, flying body parts, and surging testosterone. (The six-pack abs are also relentless, and the movie has more and less nudity--more female, less male--than the graphic novel.) Still, as a representation of Miller's work and as an ancient-themed action flick with a modern edge, 300 delivers. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

• GREAT HISTORICAL LY CORRECT FILM
  300 is a really well done and historically correct film - although the Persians might not like the fact that their entire army of thousands was slain by only 300 Spartans. It therefore was banned in Iran.
  300 features impressive battle scenes and is visually brilliant. It also is quite violent but nowhere near its bad reputation. Battles are in the spotlight here, so don't be expecting too much of anything else.

• SPECTACULAR and EMOTIONAL
  What can be said that hasnt? This is a beautiful movie but I only hope everyone saw it in theatres, the bigger the screen the better for this movie.
  The commentary is worth a listen but be warned they liked the movie on the big Imax screen too, and mention this a lot through out the movie how you can see more if its an Imax print. This made me feel a little cheated and I dont think they should have gone on about it so explicitly but that aside this is going to be a beautiful rich movie with style... more info

• Is it a comedy?
  Is this film supposed to be funny,it must be the worst film i've seen for ages.It's corny and a little camp.It's so bad that it's funny,probably funnier than meet the spartans.

• Forget history
  Forget history, forget politics, forget morality - just take this film for what it is - a cracking bit of fun!

Similar Products:

More from Amazon