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entertaining u newspaper: your weekly guide to entertainment
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by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
A- Rated R 117 min.
Nearly everyone I know has been dying to see 300 since the very first trailer was unveiled. As with any film that is highly anticipated by large numbers of people, I for one always find myself a bit weary. How can any movie meet such high expectations? Well, I’m pleased to report that 300 is, in fact, one that does just that. The film will be in theaters nationwide this Friday and I predict it will be a runaway hit at the box office.
Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) is forced to go to war with Persia after the wicked, self-proclaimed God-man, King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) threatens to destroy their way of life if they don’t pledge their allegiance to him. Unable to get approval from the council to send their army into battle, Leonidas rounds up 300 of his most loyal men to go up against Persia’s one million-strong soldiers. As they march toward their battlefield, they soon realize they are being followed by a hunchback named Ephialtes (Andrew Tiernan) who is desperate to be a Spartan solider. When he is rebuffed by Leonidas, Ephialtes turns his back on them and gives the Persians everything they need to take down the Spartans. Meanwhile, a crooked politician named Theron (Dominic West) is wielding his influence with the council, prompting them to deny Leonidas’ aid and, consequently, condemning them all to death. Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), Leonidas’ wife, is given the uphill task of convincing the council to overturn their decision.
Like the first film to be derived from Frank Miller’s work, Sin City, most of the film was shot with the actors standing in front of bluescreens. Using CGI, Snyder and his team created a stunning version of Sparta that feels as gritty and dreary as it must have been. The film is a shot-by-shot adaptation of Miller’s graphic novel and at times you can really take notice of it, even if you’ve never picked the book up before. The film is rated R for good reason. The violence is non-stop and there is some nudity, so try and keep young kids away from this flick.
At the screening I attended, the stakes were high for 300. The second the lights went down, people were cheering, anticipating a truly great film. Luckily for everyone, the movie delivers what the audience hoped: lots of cool fight scenes, plenty of blood and an intense underdog story that never once disappoints. A less-than-sappy love story gives viewers a break from all of the gore, which is a nice distraction from all that CGI blood. Speaking of which, with any film that relies heavily on CGI, people tend to worry that the digital images may look out of place. Turns out, those people worried for nothing. I was never once distracted by the computer-generated scenery or characters. The story itself, which is based on the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, is incredibly engrossing and well paced, allowing the viewer to be drawn in and stay drawn in for the film’s entire 117 minutes.
Each and every actor did an exceptional job with their roles, perfectly personifying their hard-shelled characters with just enough subtlety to make them appealing. While a handful of the characters felt a bit over-the-top, Butler’s Leonidas in particular, given the film’s graphic novel roots it’s more than understandable, it’s expected. The Ephialtes character is, admittedly, a tad unintentionally funny, and not just because of his grotesque appearance. The role is just a bit too similar to Gollum from the Lord of the Rings films. His appearance does manage to take you out of the story somewhat, but the diversion can be easily overlooked, given the rest of the film’s overwhelming positives.
I rarely find myself reaching for my phone to recommend a movie to my friends moments after seeing it. After seeing 300, I did just that. Fans of Sin City and Frank Miller and those the slightest bit curious about this gritty period piece should make their way to the theater this weekend. This is a film that really delivers in every possible category. The reaction at the prescreening is proof of that. As the final credits began to roll, the entire theater clapped and began singing 300’s praises as they made their way out. I never heard a single negative comment from anyone around me. That really says it all.
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