Urban Docent: "300," or "A Spartan's Day at the Breach ... er ... Beach"

The Urban Docent

"300," or "A Spartan's Day at the Breach ... er ... Beach"

    Yet another spoiler-free Urban Docent movie review

    Many moons ago, I joined some friends at our local theater to see this movie I had heard very little about called "Gladiator." I was so captivate by the story, special effects and cinematography that I went to a different theater across town on the same day to see it again with another group of folks.

    "300" is most assuredly different from "Gladiator" on so many levels, and I doubt I'll be seeing it again this evening ... mostly because it's such an overwhelming display of visuals that I think I'm too exhausted to do it again so soon.

    Plot Summary: The story is likely familiar to most — the legendary stand made by 300 born-to-kill Spartans against an oppressive slave army seeking to make Sparta its next conquest. Force meets force while political struggles are played out at home, and that's about it in a nutshell.

     But with "300," we finally receive a movie where style clearly wins out over substance. The largely computer-driven backgrounds and special effects are generally solid and presented without a hitch. However, there are a few weak spots you'll pick up on as they easily contrast the rest of the reel. The moods are great, and the visuals are super-real scene after scene.

    Acting performances are kinda standard-issue and predictable, but the action sequences are filled with enough variety so as to keep the continuous battles from become way too tedious. There are exactly three scenes of gratuitous sensuality that detract from the movie and are, for my liking, drawbacks to the pacing — they are chiefly senseless afterthoughts.

    So is "300" destined to be one of the greatest films ever? Not likely, but it does show that what "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" clumsily attempted can be realized — a near completely digitally produced movie that is solid at its core.

    I give "300" a well-deserved B+ for great action in wondrous settings that almost totally overcome a somewhat thin plot and occasionally clunky pacing.