300. As comic-book movies go, this should be the pinnacle. Every bit of this movie is lovingly rendered in CGI with the expressed intent of creating a three-dimensional version of Frank Miller and Lynn Varley’s graphic novel, and the result is a visual treat. From the backgrounds to the weapons and armor to the overall color palette to the overly-stylized violence, painstakingly detailed decapitations and spurting fountains of blood in the battle scenes, nothing in the film goes untouched. Unfortunately, all this concentration on the visuals doesn’t leave a lot of room for human emotion in the film. Granted, these are Spartans, who were trained from a very young age to shun emotions as weakness, but I found it a bit difficult to be concerned about the fate of the main characters, especially when I already knew the outcome of the battle. I found myself wishing for one major player (be he sympathetic or enigmatic) to identify with, which is the strength of some of the better comic book films like Spider-Man or Batman Begins. Instead, I got stereotypically cardboard action heroes and villains, and it was hard to care much about either. That said, I’m glad I saw 300 in the theater, as I think this is one of those movies that’s really going to lose something on a TV screen. In the end, I’d rate it like this: Visuals—A+ / The rest of the movie—C / Overall—B+.
UPDATE: I just noticed on the website that they released an IMAX version of 300, and it’s playing in Denver. I may have to go check it out just for the experience.
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