300 (DVD, 2007, Special Edition)

"300" captures the hyper-stylized look and peculiar sensibility of Graphic Novels on film., that has eluded many a talented director.
Along with British Graphic Novelist Alan Moore ("From Hell", "V for Vendetta"), Frank Miller is regarded as one of the masters of the genre. His Gothic, camp-free revamp of DC Comics' mainstay "Batman", "The Dark Knight Returns", provided the brooding template for Tim Burton's "Batman" (1989). And, in 2005, Miller found a kindred pulp spirit in Robert Rodriguez, who partnered with him to co-direct "Sin City", a smashing adaptation of Miller's noir-esque triptych, shot almost entirely on green screen to render the graphic novel's shadowy, chiaroscuro visuals with exacting fidelity.
Now director Zach Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead") takes a similar digital approach to Miller's "300", albeit on a much grander and technically more ambitious scale, to transport the viewer to the ancient, corpse-strewn 'Battle of Thermopylae', circa 480 BC, when 300 Spartan Warriors fought thousands of invading Persian soldiers. A True Tale of Bravery from Greek History.
Miller's quasi-mythic retelling of the Spartans bravely facing their "beautiful death" against the Persians is a bold and wildly imaginative example of the graphic novel at its creative height.
Co-written by Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Michael B. Gordon, the movie is narrated by the Spartan Warrior/storyteller Dilios (David Wenham), who introduces us to the legendary Spartan Ruler, King Leonidas (Gerard Butler). Per the Spartan Code of Honor, Leonidas has trained to be a fearless warrior since childhood. Renowned throughout the ancient world for their extraordinary valor and loyalty, the Spartans have long repulsed would-be conquerors, but they have never faced as intimidating or ruthless an army as the Persian hordes, commanded by the giant Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro).
Despite the looming threat by the Persians, the Spartan Council refuses to give Leonidas permission to lead the Spartan Army into battle. Undaunted, he nonetheless bids farewell to his devoted wife, Gorgo (Lena Headey), and young son to face the Persians head-on, backed by an all-volunteer army of 300 Spartan Warriors. With his trusted advisors Dilios and the Captain (Vincent Regan) at his side, Leonidas prepares to unleash hell against the Persians at the Hot Gates of Thermopylae — a treacherous, seaside pass on the Aegean Sea, where they're prepared to fight to the death in defense of Sparta.
This film is so intensly stylized; presented in such unrelenting Graphic Noel noir., history never seemed so enthralling !!
SEE THIS !!!! It has the guaranteed inability to fail you !!!! Wildly entertaining while revealing such a Heroic True Story !!!!

This nonstop action movie tracks a boy from birth to death within the rough and brutal Spartan society and ends up with the great Legendary fight to the death of the mighty 300. The spirit and courage (to the point of arrogant stupidity) was very admirable. I certainly enjoyed the movie but felt it a bit long for what the story had to offer. I would recommend it to all certainly if nothing else for the history lesson however inflated the legend and Hollywood has made this! Thanks for reading!

"300" is a testosterone-driven fantasy in which all men are fearless warriors, driven by the need for battle and bloodshed. War is depicted as gloriously as any geek loner-type could hope for, with every soldier being the epitome of strength, courage, and physical brute force. Emotional bonding, sensitivity, and compassion don't even come into play; these men were trained to be ruthless killing machines, all in the name of preserving the glory of Sparta. This would no doubt be a ridiculous film if the story were presented in a straightforward, mainstream way. But straightforward and mainstream, "300" is not; this is pure, hard-driving escapism, from the frenetic battle sequences to the elaborate special effects to the over the top performances. In this sense, it's absolutely brilliant.

And it gets even better. Every shot, every setting, and every event is accentuated by a look so stylized that it's practically a living duplicate of Frank Miller's original graphic novel. This was achieved through computer-generated imagery, which was responsible for creating most of the film's locations. Bluescreen technology--also utilized for another incredible Miller adaptation, 2005's "Sin City"--made for a majority of the sets, leaving very little for the actors to actually work with. I can only imagine the effort that went into post-production, the endless hours of crafting landscapes, characters, and special effects all with the click of a mouse. The work paid off; the end product is an effectively heightened reinterpretation of reality, a kind of living illustration that transcends any sense of time or place. It's the perfect look for war story of this caliber, something so grandiose and overplayed that you can't get enough.

The film is narrated by Dilios (David Wenham), a Spartan soldier with a hard-edged masculinity that shines through despite a deceptively soft voice. He recalls Leonidas, Sparta, and the Battle of Thermopylae with eloquence; when considering the heavy-handedness of war, this is no small task. Yet he always gives a perfect delivery, and that only strengthens the appeal of "300." This is in a world all its own, a world dominated by battle cries, sword fights, and bare-chested men that are ripped like bodybuilders. It's all thanks to Frank Miller, whose creative vision has allowed for a truly unique theatrical experience. If he creates another graphic novel, I can't wait for it to be adapted for the big screen.

This movie tells the story of the bravest warriors to ever enter battle. The Spartans take on the Persians outnumbered so badly so sane man would ever consider entering the battle.

The story tells the life a man whos life starts and ends as the chosen leader of his people. A great story with great effects and great battle scenes.

Overall an excellent movie!

if you like war movies with alot of blood then you will like this movie. 300 takes you through the life of a sparton and how they become such good warriors. this movie has almost nonstop action through out the movie. the special features with there training secrets so i tried them and man i am out of shape.

300

I watched this in theatres and was blown away. It's a great action film with a great story, great performances, and amazing effects.

I can't wait for Tuesday as I will be buying a copy of 300 the second it comes out. If you loved Gladiator, Troy, Lord of the Rings, etc... you'll love 300.

Final Verdict:

5/5

Worth Buying?: 100% YES!!!

This movie is GREAT! It is definate eye candy because the graphics just take your breath away. Tyler Bates' soundtrack is also amazing, using very unique instrumentation with guitar parts meshed with an orchestra, creating huge emotional support for what is happening on screen. Which brings me to the only thing I disliked about the movie: some slightly stereotypical dialogue which takes small, unpleasant bites out of the movie once in a while. However, I believe 300 overcomes this with the excellent fight scenes and gore.

Oh, and a word to the women: some major girl power shows up in 300! YAY! =)

This is a great movie. It probably isn't a movie that you would let a little kid watch, because it has alot of blood and gore in it. Alot of the movie is actually true, like at the beginning when it tells how the spartans became warriors and other parts of the movie. It will tell you what parts are true and what parts are fiction in the special features area of the DVD. This movie follows the story of king Leonidas (from birth to death). In the movie the so called gods want let Sparta raise an army to face the Persian invaders lead by god-king Xerxes. So King Leonidas takes 300 of his best soldiers to face the invaders. When he finally meets Xerxes, Xerxes thinks that he can not be defeated or even feel pain. So king Leonidas promises him that he will feel pain. Although this movie doesn't have any big name actors, they play their parts amazingly well. I would definatly recommend this movie if you are a fan of action packed movies. If you are the type that gets sick easily when you see alot of blood or body parts flying every where, this probably isn't the movie for you.

I loved the movie. It was a little rough around the edges, but all in all an excellent,exciting rework of the Mighty 300.

This is a great movie with a great story. If you haven't seen this yet, you should. A great addition to any DVD collection.

Features Actors:Gerald Buttler, Rodrigo Santoro
Running Time:116 Min.
Rating:R

In mid-September of 480 BC, a force of 300 Spartans, led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), along with 700 Thespians volunteers, defended Greece against a massive horde of marauders from Persia at the epic Battle of Thermopylae. Though badly outnumbered by adversaries whose strength was said to be in the hundreds of thousands, the Greeks made one of the most famous last stands in the annals of military engagements.
Leonidas' ingenious strategy was to station his soldiers at the narrowest point in the road of the treacherous terrain through which the Persians would have to pass. As a consequence of this clever tactic, his small, but determined army managed to hold the thundering herd at bay for three days, exacting a heavy toll on rival King Xerxes' (Rodrigo Santoro) troops in the process. Although the ill-fated Spartans fought to the death, they were nonetheless credited with saving the day, because they created a delay which enabled Athens to prevail ultimately against the savage invaders. Perhaps more significantly, historians generally agree that had Greece fallen, the course of Western Civilization would have been irreversibly altered, since it was considered to be the gateway to a Persian conquest of all of Europe.


Hope this helps you decide.Thanks for reading! :)

Good Movie, very cool tone and imagery to the film, lots of cool fight scenes, really cool storyline set in ancient Greece.

This is one of my all-time favorite movies. A recent move from a certain intolerable roommate found my beloved movie no longer in my possession. Now, I have a certain saved search in which I check periodically & when I saw this particular film fall into the category, I jumped on it. Even though it ended up exceeding what I normally pay for such an item, it was a must-have for me. Thanks for a great, smooth transaction...JC

Great movie. Fantastic action and special effects. Animation was superb. Dialog was a bit Corny but did not ruin movie

This movie is hands down my favorite movie of all time up into this point. Mind you I am a huge action/history nut, and my favorite movie before this was Gladiator. This is a must buy for any action military fan.

Great movie, based on history with a slight curve tho. Love the Spartan's outfits! :} Keeps your interest throughout the whole movie. Sad ending, but they died for freedom and defiant of slavery.

I bought this DVD for Christmas for my husband. We've seen the movie and really liked it. He wants a copy of it for himself. So surprise!!!

Movie was just like new, The seller shipped promply and it arrived in good condition. The movie was really good, a little violent with blood, this movie is not for children.

Well this movie is alredy awesome! and the special edition have a lot of new stuff that anyone will like!!!

IT IS A GREAT MOVIE THEY RECOMENDED TO ME SO I DECICED TO PURCHASE IT. I LOVE THIS MOVIE BECAUSE IT HAS ALOT OF ACTION AND IT HAS ALOT OF HISTORY ASWELL. YOU CAN SORT OF IMAGEN HOW IT WAS LIKE BEFORE WITH THE SPARTANS. GREAT MOVIE I LOVE IT

This was the worst service I have ever received on E bay. I never received my movie and even attempted to contact the seller and there was no response. I DO NOT recommend using this seller for ANY items that you might be looking for.

I love war movies, but war movies without bullets are even better... this movie will give out high amounts of testosterone.

Thanks for the oportunity. Actually, I never received the "300" DVD. I contacted the seller and the seller said that it had been shipped. But, I never received it. REVIEW: others have said that it is a very good movie. AS for me, I have no idea. Bob Rollins