JohnDoe
Bryn
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300 (2007)- The Premiere Orble Review
300 - Released April 5th
Bryn over at Horrorphile got a preview ticket to see the record breaking 300 at the IMAX last night and was nice enough to ask John Doe along. Meaning that he can now treat Orbler’s to an early review for this highly anticipated release. Can’t thank you enough buddy.
Poster-Released in Australia April 5th 2007
Cinematography:Larry Fong
Starring:Gerard Butler
"Spartans! Enjoy your breakfast, for tonight we dine in Hell!" - King Leonidas
An unrelenting, unrestrained action spectacle, 300 is adapted from the Frank Miller graphic novel, which was inspired by the epic 1962 film 300 Spartans, in turn based on the historic battle of Thermopylae from 240B.C.
Telling the story of King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his 300 Spartans who take “holding them off at the pass” to the most violent and single minded extreme. (This is probably where the term comes from)
Impossibly outnumbered by the invading Persian Empire, Spartans were expert military strategists with minds as strong as their bodies, unyielding in combat.
"We Spartans have descended from Hercules himself. Taught never to retreat, never to surrender. Taught that death in the battlefield is the greatest glory he could achieve in his life. Spartans: the finest soldiers the world has ever known." - Dilious
A stoic warrior race, trained from birth to fight and ignore pain. Babies were examined for imperfections, discarded without question if they were not of the finest stock. Young Males were taken alone from there families and left for dead in the wild to fend for themselves and prove their worth.
Only if they survived and made it back home could they stand as men. Into this world rides a Persian messenger bearing a surrender or die threat that is met with instant refusal and thus begins the race to save Greece.
The King ignores the gods who have denied his plans to take the battle to his enemies. Proud and bred for the honour of war, he is forced to face the maniacal, self proclaimed deity Xerxes and his infinite army with only his 300 personal bodyguards.
So like a horde of well organized Conan’s these hard and dangerous men hack, slash and smash their way through anything that stands in their way and create a legend that still resonates 2000 years later.
"This is where we fight! This is where they die!" - King Leonidas
No not Zues, Leonidas
John Doe Says
Delivering on its ferocious and bloody promise, what you see in the trailer is what you get on screen. 116 minute of flesh tearing, limb slicing unbridled carnage, hyper stylised, bringing the striking hand drawn images of the source to life.
No one can accuse Director Zack Snyder (Dawn of The Dead) of holding back. Overwhelming with its grand splendour, 300 is a relentless assault of beautiful, violent imagery and adrenalin pumping confrontations, it’s the Wild Bunch of historical epics.
We get walls built with mangled torso’s for cement, dual speed editing that speeds up with every thrust and slows down as pieces of flesh are escaping skewered bodies.
A visual feast, the design is hypnotic, colours and light dance on screen. The bright red blood against earth and skin tones leaps off the screen, often resembling a still life painting come to life. The camera abducts the viewer, tossing them into the maelstrom of colliding steel and skin. Animal Logic have again superceded the benchmark in Computer generated wizardry.
The screenplay is pretty close to a literal adaptation with just the role of Spartan Queen beefed up to add some extra dimension to the straight forward plot. This is not a histroy lesson, it is excessive entertainment that rips you out of reality and pounds you into submission.
Gerard Butler (Phantom Of the Opera, Tomb Raider, Shooters) as Leonida’s oozes sweat and charisma from his glistening body, dominating every inch of the screen. Spitting his lines and convincing as the tough guy ruler who lives for destruction. Several times through the film his presence reminded Johnny and co of Sean Connery in his peak, this is certainly his breakout performance.
Lena Headey (Ripley’ game, The Actors, Aberdeen) as Queen Gorgo matches her king exuding effortless sexuality to match his over blown testosterone levels.
As the Persian, pierced man-god Xerxes, Rodrigo Santoro (Lost) steals his scenes with an exuberant portrayal of decadent nihilism and an exotically twisted Caligulaesque standard of living.
Amongst all the atmospheric landscape and totally immersive thrills there is one glaring fault and its the casting of David Wenham (The Boys). He serves as narrator and his constantly fluctuating international accent and the haphazard rhythm of his cadence grates. There were many unintentional laughs in the theatre when his character has tough guy dialogue.
John Doe was grinning from beginning to end. Stunning, he has seldom seen such a distinct mytholgy thoroughly rendered with moving pictures. Afterwards you truly feel like you have been in some heavy hand to hand combat and the residual adrenalin flow continues for a long time after the closing credits.
The good news is that 300 is getting an IMAX release on April 5th and John Doe insists that those who are hyped put in the effort to see it on the dauntingly massive, monster screen.
Feast your eyes on the R rated 300 Trailer below. (Keep your eyes out for a Watchman tease too)
Here is a Q&A with Director Zack Snyder where he talks about the style of tehy film and what he was trying to accomplish with it.
Interview with future mega star Gerard Butler.
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