"Tonight We Dine In Hell!"

My brother’s fiancée’s bridal shower was Sunday. What better time to for the guys to go see 300?

It’s a hell of a movie: Stunning to look at, absolutely gorgeous in its depiction of slow-motion violence and bloodshed. It’s very faithful to Frank Miller’s graphic novel in that regard. The costume and armor designs are drawn from Miller’s pages, and they look great on film.

It’s a phenomenal, dazzling spectacle. Here: The Spartans march, a mere fraction of their army. Here: The Persian “Immortals” approach, fearsome in their silver masks. Here: They clash in blood and dirt, with no-nonsense slashes and brutal thrusts. Every combat brings something new. And if it seems a bit like a video game, with each wave of villains more terrible than the last, it doesn’t detract too much from the horrible beauty of the dance.

The characters have little depth, but the script doesn’t call for much. It isn’t a movie for thinking; it’s a movie for feeling. A subplot with Leonidas’ wife left a bad taste in my mouth; if I recall the book correctly, it was added for the movie. It’s an attempt to add politics to the film, but the Spartan politicians are an unsubtle bunch. They’re better on the battlefield.

300 is a better movie to look at than to watch. But make no mistake, it is a joy to look at.

Rob