300 (4.8 of 5)

This was a big one for me. A Hard R retelling of the battle of Thermopylae in 480BC’¦and away we go’¦Persian King (thinks he is a god) Xerxes wants it all’¦The king of Sparta sees a problem with that’¦while politicians and religious leaders are paid off to be anti-war’¦King Leonidas takes his best 300 father/warriors (too keep the blood lines going) to greet them. The next hour is a lesson in slow motion vivisection that would even shame red lobster on a Friday night. It’s a tragic tale’¦but so is being a dude sometimes’¦and this is a dude picture. Boobs’¦blood and fighting. Spike TV will have it in the rotation for years to come’¦right alongside Roadhouse. Director Zack Snyder is an up and comer’¦He understood the comic book style’¦the glory’¦the sacrifice and the ‘œGuy’ level the flick needed to be at to be great. While a lot of it was grainy (more likely it was because I went to the excellent Mann’s Chinese theater…and their supurb digital projection showed the flaws) the flat sepia tones made the story feel like it was being told from old faded texts. Very Nice Indeed. And all done in a green screen (blue really) sound stage like Sin City’¦but unlike Sin City…it had a lot of outside vistas, cliffs and mountains. This film is the one to beat thus far’¦. but the whole summer is ahead of us.
My knowledge of this true story varies a little from the film, the traitor’s motives, the lack of armor, the iron shields , unique swords and the invincibles?’¦but otherwise it gets the essence right: Evil horde wants domination, civilized society doesn’t see it coming, leader gives life for ideals. Societies rally behind the fallen hero. Causing a chain reaction that allows western civilization to survive’¦surprisingly it happened a few times before and after Christ was born…So much for learning from the past.
So why all the hubbub?…well all kinds on reasons’¦The Persians (while never stated as Muslim) are Muslims invading a western civilization’¦and in today’s climate…that hits a little to close to home. A leader must go around the clueless doves of his society to protect their way of life…again way to close to home. Iran has already called it a propaganda anti Muslim tool of the evil US’¦hey how did they get a copy so soon?
Too me ..it fit my politics just fine’¦you wanna come to my backyard and not have democracy in your back pocket ‘¦its understood’¦.its open season!…I will put my best 300 against your million any day. Now while the politics of the day forced this to happen’¦when the fighting starts’¦politics fly out the window’¦as it should.