300

****
Release Date: March 23rd 2007

King Leonidas and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.

Director: Zack Snyder (Man of Steel, Sucker Punch, Watchmen)

Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Michael Fassbender

Is 300 vastly over-the-top? Or an accurate account of the battle of Thermopylae? A bit of both really. In history, more than 300 men went to defend the pass against the huge Persian army. It numbered around 7000, made up of Spartans, Athenians, Thespians and Thebans. So what makes a better story for the screen? A small contingency that's vastly outnumbered of course! It's an adaption of Frank Miller's comic of the same name. It's neither real or fantasy, it sits somewhere in the middle.

King Leonidas (the very epic Gerard Butler) is aware of the Persians attempting to invade Greece. He decides to take 300 Spartans with him, to defend the only pass that the Persians can take to get to them. In his band of buffed up warriors is David Wenham (known for his character Faramir in Lord of the Rings) and a slightly younger Michael Fassbender. You might, like me, forget he was even in this!

300 cuts every now and then from the 300's defense to Queen Gorgo's (Lean Headey) attempt to persuade the Spartan council to send out the Spartan army. It breaks up the momentum of the battles, which is what I wanted to see a lot more of, but without a functioning storyline there's no relating to the characters and their way of thinking.

The action makes the story engrossing. There's no doubt that 300 is beautifully shot. It's had the same level of post-production work as Robert Rogriguez's Sin City. Snyder uses slow motion incredibly well, emphasising the bloody and gorey moments. The CGI is simply stunning.

There's a mixture of cheesy, overblown, incomprehensible, ironic feelings about certain parts of 300. Like Gerard Butler's beard. Or the weirdest sex scene you'll ever see. Or a traitorous hunchback. Or grotesque looking oracles. Or ridiculous six packs (eight if you're the King). Does anyone stop to think that being lightly garbed and carrying nothing but a spear doesn't bode well for a long trip? Either way, these are minor issues. As long as we don't start believing this was all true...

Overview: An epic dose of sheer crazy entertainment. Now try and shout 'this is Sparta!' with as much passion as Leonidas.