If I could give The 300 as many stars, I would. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It takes some liberties, but they're forgivable in the sense that the movie is an adaptation of a Frank Miller comic and not intended to historically accurate (some please tell the Iranians about that, I'm either too busy laughing at them for being stupid or being pissed about their abducting 15 British sailors to bother).Like I doubt Emperor Xerxes would've been borne about on a palanquin that must've needed a giant forklift to hold up (below).
But it sure looked impressive on the big screen.I tell you what, the premiere showing the movie tonight flooded Misawa Air Base's single-screen theater, named the Richard Bong Theater (sorry I don't have the story behind him at the tip of my tongue). So, hitting the "Bong" means something completely different here in Japan. And let me tell you, folks turned out in force for this movie. You see normally, you can walk right up five minutes before the show starts, and walk right in, its never lacking for seats. About 400 or so people can sit, and the most I've ever seen at a movie prior to The 300, was a not-quite-half-full premiere showing of Casino Royale. This one had folks lined down the stairs and stretched out down the front side of the parking lot.
Its the only time going to the theaters has felt even remotely like going to the movies back home. OK, so that's a stretch, it was f'ing COLD last night and I had on my big Eagles Sideline Parka (the new Reebok kind that my folks got me), I don't think I've had to wear more than a windbreaker when going to the big multiplex in downtown Honolulu (god, I miss Ward Center).
But back to the movie. The actions sequences are too many to describe here, but they are uniformly tremendous. I don't know if actors against a CG-backdrop will completely catch on (The movie was done completely on green screen) and I'm sure the artificial look may have turned some viewers off, but I was fine with it. Again, I enjoyed the same type of CG effects in Sin City. I think its adds a unique feel to the adaptations. And it helps to be a Frank Miller fan. I've loved his stuff ever since I bought the original Hard Boiled series back when I went to Pitt.
