Film Review: 300

300 @ IMDB

So my friend Ryan called yesterday and said did I want to go on an adventure. I said, what the hey. I like adventures. So we went to the cinema to see 300. Not that much of an adventure, you may say, but he did have to drive a fair distance whereupon we got as lost as a blind polar bear in sack.

So it counts as an adventure.

The cinema was also waaay better that the rubbish cinema I have to put up with in my town, despite it being ludicrously hard to find.

As for the film? Corker. Yes, it may not be historically accurate and the treament of the Persians in the film has ruffled a few feathers but thats not really the point, the point is to see half naked Greek men stabbing other nasty men with their massive spears.

Points to anyone who spotted the subtly homo-erotic undertones in that sentence and, indeed, the film itself.

Story? Some King from Sparta goes to fight some people from Persia. Thats it really. And you know what, that's all I need. Inspired, as the poster says, from Frank Millers graphic novel those in the know will know exactly what to expect from this film. The main character, King Leonides (see, I was paying attention) falls bang square into the usual Miller archetype; the strong willed man who will Do The Right Thing no matter the cost to himself and would rather die that betray his honour.

And, boy hooty, does it look good. Filmed a la Sin City with CGI backgrounds it looks stunning. You can pick out frames from the graphic novel with the almost tableu-like shots in gorgeous slo-mo before it winds up into another piece of gloriously excessive violence.

Yes, the script can't quite back up the visuals. Yes, the sub-plot with the Queen feels tagged on and seems to go no where. But it looks so damn good you can forgive it and get swept along in the action.

Now, at the end of the review I could rate it out of 5 stars or what have you. But, as the blog is called Evil Ninja Phil there should be at least one ninja reference somewhere. So I am going to rate all the reviews based on a scale of ninja weapons, nunchuka being the best and umbrella the worst*.

300 gets a Sword. But a really good Sword like Green Destiny or something.



* Don't believe me that an Umbrella is eligable for a kung fu weapon?



You can apologise later.