Tue 25 Sep 2007
Go Tell The Spartans
Posted by The Silver Fox under Movies
I watched 300 Sunday night and I have to say it was pretty damn silly. The film looked cool, but it was also full of people shouting - always shouting - very bad dialogue very loudly. I’m still scratching my head as to how a story as inspiring and stirring as that of Leonidas and Thermopylae could be turned into something so overwrought and bombastic. Even the battle scenes were ridiculous. A friend described the gist of the movie, quite accurately as ‘Spartans talk about kicking ass, said ass kicking occurs, Spartans talk about kicking some more ass, more ass kicking occurs, Spartans all die.’
So there you have it. For those interested, a better account of those event can be found in Steven Pressfield’s excellent novel Gates of Fire. And if you’re in need of a movie about a battle against overwhelming odds, rent Zulu.
September 25th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
I had to endure this movie on the big screen so that my 14-year-old son could see it (rated R, and the theater mgmt was being strict; the violence was no worse than many PG-13 shoot ‘em ups, and the flash of breast before the war was the movie’s only redeeming quality). The boy loved the flick for all the reasons you would expect a 14 yr old to. I couldn’t wait to leave, bothered especially by the bigshot Spartan leader throwing the Persian emissaries into what I assume was the city’s well. Once the water’s undrinkable they’re all gonna die anyway. . .
September 26th, 2007 at 8:16 am
PandaFan and I watched it a few weekends ago and I was unimpressed as well.
September 26th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
I had the same reaction to 300. I thought Sin City was a far more entertaining translation of a Frank Miller book. And for even more silly violence, you’ll find that Hot Fuzz will fit the bill nicely.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
That description of the movie — that was me, right? I’m so honored!
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:19 pm
As Jim says - not as entertaining as I thought it would be. Even with half nekkid men all about. Sigh.
October 12th, 2007 at 9:11 am
Someone I know described it as “war porn.” I thought that was exactly what it was.