I remember when I first saw the trailer for 300 and said to myself, “I can’t wait until this movie comes out.” After a morning of judging short stories in a high school contest, I took a midday break and scooted out to the mall to return a pair of shoes that killed my feet when I tried to wear them and to see 300 on the big screen. First, let me say, I was surprised to see someone bring their little boy to this movie — and not surprised when they left. The violence is one thing, in itself probably too violent for a child to see, but there is overt nudity too. It’s an R-rated movie people. Don’t bring the munchkins. That said, I really enjoyed it. But then, I’m not six years old.
So, here are my 10 Reasons to Go See 300:
10. Amazing CGI and cinematography. When you realize that this movie was shot against a blue screen on rocks that looked like big pieces of papier-mache, the end result is amazing. It’s obviously not real, but it’s beautiful in that graphic novel sort of way.
9. A nice mixture of emotions — anger, determination, pride and even some bits of humor thrown in.
Bad guy from Persian army: “Our arrows will blot out the sun.”
Stelios: “Then we will fight in the shade.”
8. A strong female lead in Queen Gorgo, played by Lena Headey. She’s not an ornamental queen. She’s smart, strong and can kick some butt when needed.
7. David Wenham (Faramir in the Lord of the Rings trilogy) as both a Spartan soldier and the narrator of the story. I can’t resist an Aussie voice.
6. The allure of the underdog story — 300 Spartans versus tens of thousands of Persians.
5. Six packs. No, not of your favorite beverage. The guys who played the Spartans worked out and trained for months to get into the shape they needed to be in to believably portray these ultimate soldiers. That bit of characterization through physical fitness comes across when the 300 are compared to others trying to stand against the invading force. And I can’t say they were hard on the eyes either. đ
4. The soundtrack. It’s no secret I love movie soundtracks, and this was one where I stayed until the end of the credits to listen to the music.
3. It’s a movie that has that epic feel that needs to be seen on the big screen, at least for your first viewing.
2. Stelios, played by Michael Fassbender. He’s funny in the midst of the battlefield but still the ultimate soldier.
[b]1. Gerard Butler as King Leonidas. Not only does he look good and sound good (hey, I like those Scottish accents too), but I really liked how his character showed the range of emotions. The fatherly love he shows his son while still teaching him how to fight, his pride in being a Spartan, his determination to stay free and keep all Spartans free, his humor (“There’s no reason we can’t be civil,” he says as he eats an apple and strolls across a battlefield littered with Persian dead to meet Xerxes.), and the way he and Gorgo express their deep love for each other in few words but very meaningful expressions and actions.[/b]