Are you looking for an action-packed, historically inaccurate war epic that won’t let go until the end credits are finished? If you are, then 300 is for you. Based on Frank Millers comic book series, 300 is guaranteed to keep your eyes stuck on the screen like a Spartan spear stuck through a Persian soldier.300 is a simple story about the 300 Spartan soldiers who have to protect the city of Sparta. When news reaches Sparta that the Persian army is going to invade and turn all of the citizens into slaves, King Leonidas and his men fight to the death to protect the city of Sparta.

The first thing that anyone could catch while watching this film is the historical inaccuracy. It is true that 300 Sparta soldier fought against the giant Persian army, but as disappointing as it may be, there were no giants or monstrous rhinos in the Persian army. 300 wasn’t made to be historically accurate, it was made to play off of a true event and amp it up with mythical elements. This was done not only to attract a wider range of viewers, but also to take a simple story and make it into a war epic.

If you want accuracy then you could check out the 1962 film, The 300 Spartans. This older film was made to be more accurate on what actually happened instead of focusing on the bloody battles and monstrous beasts. The one thing that they do have in common is that they both took a small story in history and turned it into a war epic. Using monsters in the 1962 version may not have worked since the technology for special effects did not look as good as they do today. Moviegoers in 1962 probably wouldn’t take stop motion animated monsters very seriously, losing the films integrity. Especially since many b-movies at the time were made with these animated monsters.

The actors are no one as famous as Tom Cruise or Reese Witherspoon, but the film was perfectly cast. The actors selected were not chosen just because they could act well, but because they look like the characters in Frank Millers comic book. With their chiseled abs, fine toned muscles and over all beautiful bodies, it looks like the casting director gave the comic book characters human life.

During the course of the film I thought King Leonidas was going to punch through the screen, grab me out of my seat and make me join his Sparta army. His ferocity added to the films energy and by the time the movie was finished I felt really pumped up and wanted to go fight the Persian army.

The big part of 300 is the look of the movie. The use of color tone, camera movement and time slowing down all add up to the approach that the filmmakers took to keep the look of Frank Millers comic book. Like with Sin City (another Frank Miller inspired movie) most of 300 was shot in front of a green screen. This allows the filmmakers to add spectacular landscapes and giant armies that could not be done in real life. Going with the approach of keeping Frank Miller’s style made it the war epic that it is. With out it, 300 may have been just another war movie.

To wrap it up, 300 is a film for any viewer that wants to be entertained with a war epic that will explode in front of you like the Persian’s magic powder. The film is a bit graphic so it may not be for the faint of heart, but if you love giant battle scenes and monstrous beasts then check out 300.