Movie Review: 300


IMDB Link

Battle of Thermopylae

Opened in Korea 14 March

How I saw it. CGV IMAX and CGV Digital

Plot. In 480 BC, the Persian king Xerxes sends his massive army to conquer Greece. The Greek city of Sparta houses its finest warriors, and 300 of these soldiers are chosen to meet the Persians at Thermopylae, engaging the soldiers in a narrow canyon where they cannot take full advantage of their numbers. The battle is a suicide mission, meant to buy time for the rest of the Greek forces to prepare for the invasion. However, that doesn't stop the Spartans from throwing their hearts into the fray, determined to take as many Persians as possible with them.


TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!


HUGE SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There really is no way to do this review without any spoilers. If you want to see the film, then stop here on this review now an read it after you have seen the film.

Being a history major, I have studied this battle and had always been impressed with the Spartan tactics that were used during this battle. In my humble opinion, the film does justice to the 300 Spartans.

I went and saw the film, for the very first time, at the Yongsan CGV IMAX, with 2 of my friends, who had never seen an IMAX film before. It was hard, while going to the Yongsan Electronic market and having not to watch any shots from 300. The film was playing at most of the pirate DVD sellers in the market. I am happy to say that both of my friends now understand why I love seeing films in IMAX.

The film opens up with a Spartan narrator of the childhood story of Leonidas I, King of Sparta..480 B.C. You are shown how he became King and how this battle was started.

What kept me surprised was all of the visual effects that were in this film and with the films budget being at 60 Million.

One of the scenes from the film that the audience enjoyed was on the first day of the siege Xerxes demanded the Greeks surrender their arms. Leonidas replied Μολὼν Λαβέ ("Come and get them"). The crowd went wild after that quote.

What I liked was how they showed the traitor, Ephialtes. They took their time and showed why he felt was right for his reasons for treason. (Please read the above link for what happened to him after the battle)

Another thing that I liked about the film was the way that they showed Xerxes. They told that he believed that he was a God and acted like that in the film. Watch for the scene, near the end of the film, where the God myth is destroyed.

The last thing that I really lied about the film was the narrator, Dilios. His story was changed for this film and I thought that it helped the film. esp at the end of this film.

END SPOILER ALERTS...


Overall if you want to see a really great film, with a story and a plot to match, Then please see this film ASAP!

Grade A+

Go, tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.