There was a movie that gave hope to 18- to 25-year-old males across the nation -- the highly anticipated 300.
Even I was a slave to all the hype surrounding 300. I'm a huge fan of Sin City, another film based off a Frank Miller graphic novel. So my excitement was through the roof. Watching King Leonidas scream out "This is Sparta!" in the trailer for 300 sends chills down my spine.
"This flick is going to be epic," I thought. Even for those who don't know one thing about Miller, the plot was more than enough to jump on the bandwagon.
Well, for those looking for stylized action, look no further. 300's battle sequences will placate any action-movie aficionado's wildest dreams. Relentless violence coupled with impressive camera tricks deliver just what the doctor ordered. There has never been a cooler looking film about the Battle of Thermopylae.
Unfortunately, that's all you're going to get -- style over substance.
While 300 isn't necessarily a bad movie, there's something missing.
It could be the dialogue. Besides the narration, every line uttered in this film goes in one ear and out the other. Sure it's exciting to hear King Leonidas (a forgettable performance by Gerard Butler) deliver speeches full of morale to his army, but it isn't memorable by any means. Or it could be the uninteresting subplot involving Queen Gorgo (tediously played by Lena Headey). The problem is that the action and the violence are the most interesting parts of this movie. After we endure each battle, we are just waiting for the next cool looking battle sequence.
And therein lies the problem with this film. Its only redeeming point is the action. Some good characters and dialogue would help me out in the "give-a-crap" department. Unfortunately, during most of the action sequences, I didn't care about who lived or died. It was just violence. It may seem confusing that somebody who likes Sin City, a movie with basically no purpose but to entertain, could criticize 300 for being superficial. On paper, 300 seems to be a more meaningful film than Sin City. The difference is that Sin City doesn't take itself seriously. The characters stand out and have great dialogue. It's a fun experience.
All 300 has-- in terms of characters-- the standard six-pack sporting Spartan, a turncoat hunchback and an occasional man-god or two. True, everyone and everything in this movie is visually pleasing, but without any substance, what's the point?
This film is certainly more interesting than a lot of the garbage out there in theaters right now, but in the grand scheme of things, this is just a cool looking action movie; no more, no less. GRADE: C
