300

Ok, ok, I know. This film has been in release for about, what, three months now? But, in my defence, I didn't see it until about month ago. Again, I know I should have "critiqued" it then, but I'm not a film critic by any means, plus I'm lazy. Anywho, this flick was great. It deserves all the fanfare it received along with the critical and box office success it has garnered. The only problems it had was that perhaps there was too much CGI technology involved. A few actual sets would have been better. Don't get me wrong, the world that the films special effects team created was awe-inspiring and all that, it's just that...check out "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) and you'll see what I mean about the use of actual sets and locations along with use of real people as extras. I also didn't care much for the computer-generated blood, but that can be forgiven.

Also, it was not entirely historically accurate. I know, a historical epic not being historically accurate, from Hollywood? The dickens you say. There were a few moments and people that simply did not happen. For one, at the end of the movie, there were no 10, 000 Spartans that avenged Leonidas, rushing toward the Persians after the Battle of Thermopylae. The Spartan army defended Sparta, they never left the city. Xerxes never invaded. If you want a more accurate recreation of the battle, go out and rent "300 Spartans" (1962) And this whole "real world" stuff about how Iranians (the Persians) of today are up in arms about how the film depicts them as weak or callous and the filmakers as rascist; um, folks, check your history, they were. However, they also have a undisputed, rightful claim of contributing to civilization, i.e. the alphabet, medical practices and the advent of utensils. Up until then Anglo Saxons (early Europeans) were barbarians and ate with their hands (not to mention, not washing up before and after meals; another trick we got from the Persians)

But let us not confuse the Persians of then with the nutcases that are over there now. And I mean the real nutbags.

Overall, I think the performances were good (I especially enjoyed the portrayal of King Leonidas "There's no reason why we can't be civil" and Queen Gorgo "Because only Spartan women give birth to REAL men" played by Gerard Butler and Lena Headey) and the action is outright awesome.