300 The reviews are pouring in!
A handsome film, with many visually arresting images, “300” benefits from the gifted crew behind the camera: director of photography Larry Fong, production designer James Bissell, editor William Hoy, costume designer Michael Wilkinson, visual effects supervisor Chris Watts, and composer Tyler Bates.
“300” may not provide much food for thought, but it’s feast for the eyes.
Emanuel Levy (link)
Variety
Obviously, the true stars here are the armies of technicians, designers, fight choreographers and cinematographer Larry Fong, who collaborate on this stylized vision of the ancient world. Then add Tyler Bates’ robust, haunting and soulful music.
What isn’t clear after two Frank Miller graphic novel movies is where this technique is leading. So far it has served only exaggerated blood, guts and sex. “300” suggests that it might create worlds of myth and fantasy not necessarily ruled by mayhem. If not, though, it’s going to get old, even ancient, very fast.
Kirk Honeycutt (link)
The Hollywood Reporter
The Spartans fight to the last manly man in “300,” a blustery, bombastic, visually arresting account of the Battle of Thermopylae as channeled through the rabid imagination of graphic novelist Frank Miller. Rendered by director Zack Snyder in a manner very similar to last year’s Miller adaptation “Sin City,” except in full color, this is a steroid-fueled fever dream about self-realization through extreme violence. In the larger picture, the cartoonish history lesson inescapably describes a monumental East vs. West conflagration, which might be greeted with muted enthusiasm in the Middle East. Action addicts in general and carnivorous fanboys in particular will chow down on this bloody feast.
TODD MCCARTHY (link)
Variety
Zack Snyder creates a masterpiece with this fantastic adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel.
Todd Gilchrist (link)
IGN
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