300; the movie

[TheProsecutor]

Just saw 300 today. What can I say, but totally AWESOME!

Just about every scene was great. Only a few corny lines or scenes, but for the most part the dialogue was good, and lots of references to today's global problems and how the concept of freedom seems to be under threat.

It takes a few digs at religion, too.

I just got the Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan national newspaper), and it gave it a 4 star rating out of 5. The review (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/20070609TDY19001.htm) is quite interesting to read, and it doesn't give anything away (well, we do know the end through history), so if you like reading reviews, I recommend this one. Like the title of the review says, it really is a 'crazy' movie. But, in a good sense.

Very entertaining and the slow motion wide screen views of battle scenes are out of this world, not like other movies' battle scenes where the camera is zoomed up and it is all jerky and nothing can really be watched closely. Have never really seen anything like this before -- one second they're moving at regular speed stabbing and slashing and then suddenly it goes slow motion. Quite sureal. The score music is good as well -- high pumping base guitars and drums a cross between euro and metal.

Though, I do wonder what kind of dental health they had 450BC. All their pearly whites were just magnificently straight, shiney, and ... well... perfect. See:

http://www.fanboy.com/images/sparta-trailer2-03.jpg

[P_chan]

Ha I noticed the teeth thing too! But yes this was an all around bad ass movie. I can't wait to buy it once it comes out on the 31st of july.

[dk]

I'm really jealous and I hope I get the chance to see this soon. Was it hard to get seats? Did you have to buy your ticket several hours in advance?

[TheProsecutor]

No, not at all. We got there just as the previews were starting and had our choice of seats. Actually, we always sit in the very first row, dead center. No one wants those seats.

The theatre appeared to be about 1/3 full.

Drank too much tea before hand, and had to go to the bathroom 4x during the movie. And now you know why we sit dead front (so my weak bladder doesn't bother people as I scoot past them). But, I have the nack of choosing which scene to go during so I don't miss anything important down to a science.

And I am FAST as IT, too. That helps.

[dk]

Heh, I sometimes have to scoot out myself to take a leak. I can't resist those jumbo size pepsis. Usually if a movie isn't uncommonly long I do fine, but some of those 3 hour movies have me scrambling for the bathroom lol.

I think I'm going to have to ask my parents to babysit for a few hours for me so I can see this...

[TheProsecutor]

Yea, I wasn't expecting it to be this good because I heard a lot of people hypin' it. I hope I haven't hyped it too much for you and then you expect a lot more and then be let down.

Hold on. I found something interesting about this movie. Gonna post again about it in about 5 mins. Check back.

[TheProsecutor]

Well, through history, we know that the 300 Spartans stood up against the Persian army (ancient Iran), and now it seems that Iranian officials and Iranian President Ahmadinejad have been denouncing this film as propaganda against Iran, trying to make them, or more accurately, their ancestors, look like idiots and weak. They say this movie is a direct provocation to stir up hostilities between their countries people.

Looking back on the movie after reading some objections to it by Iran, actually, I have to say they do have a point in how they were depicted -- more like monsters and morally inferrior to Greece.

Excerpt (http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2033630,00.html):
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government has joined MPs, bloggers and local media in denouncing the newly-released Warner Brothers epic, 300, as a calculated attempt to demonise Iran at a time of intensifying US pressure over the country's nuclear programme. ...

Iranians complain that it represents them as savage, murderous and warmongering. ...

The reformist newspaper, Ayandehno, accused the makers of trying to set international opinion against Iran to fit President George Bush's description of the country as belonging to an "axis of evil".

"In the film Iranians are considered to be monsters devoid of any culture, humanity and wisdom who know nothing except attacking other lands, threatening peace and killing human beings. There is no option other than to confront, fight and destroy this wicked tribe so that the world can be saved from this axis of evil," the paper's film critic wrote. ...

Interesting short article. Be sure to read the whole thing. And, this is not the only article about 300 angering Iran. It seems the BBC and many others have reported on it. Just type in Iran, 300, Sparta in google search and you will see this has been a pretty big issue.

[dk]

I finally got to see 300! Not as good as I expected, but it was great. I was just surprised with how fast two hours passed. I didn't want it to already be over. :(

Have you guys seen the PG version yet? It's got just as much story, but none of the gore. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNqiSkd1M6k

[P_chan]

he he I love the pg version!

"This is delicious!"

[dk]

Brush Your Teeeeeeeeeth!

[Tempestuous]

~~~FROSTING!!~~~

That's funny.

I was like PG?? What the heck? HOW did they do that?

[StreetBiker]

Best movie I've seen all year.

[dk]

Best movie I've seen all year.
I loved it, but I put "Sunshine" as the best movie I've seen all year. 300 was too quick and there wasn't a ton of story. Just a ton of action.