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#1 The 300.

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:44 am
by frigidmagi
Having seen the midnight showing, I, frigidmagi am prepared to comment on this film. Spoiler space below.


























































This Movie Kicks Ass, Go Watch IT! A real review to follow in a reasonable time.

That is all.

#2

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:53 am
by Dartzap
On a scale of One to Timbuktu, is it as stylized as Sin City or more?

#3

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:18 pm
by frigidmagi
Can you expand the question a bit?

Honestly 300 should not be compared to Sin City, they're completely different animals. 300 is epic in it's scope, defiant and militant in it's tone and brashly colorful. Sin City is more limited in scope and grimmer in tone and certainly has less color, being instead more urbane I would call it.

300 is more linear in it's story telling while Sin City tends to leap a bit.

#4

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:21 pm
by Feil
So did they include the 600 Thespians who were also at Thermopolae, or were they too busy with the SPARTAAAAAAns to make an attempt at historical accuracy?

#5

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:24 pm
by LadyTevar
Feil wrote:So did they include the 600 Thespians who were also at Thermopolae, or were they too busy with the SPARTAAAAAAns to make an attempt at historical accuracy?
Historical Accuracy? What's that?

#6

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:28 pm
by frigidmagi
Ladies and Gents, This movie is based off a comic book base off a 1960s movie. It's not a bloody documentary. At no time to my knowledge as anyone who matters on this movie claimed it was highly accuracte.

Seriously even my bloody Classicist History Professor doesn't care.

That said they do get in the other greeks.

Now go watch!

#7

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 2:43 pm
by Dartzap
Can you expand the question a bit?
I meant does it have all the funky CGI stuff and slow mo jazz?

I'll be saying it whatever you say anyway. :smile:

#8

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:43 pm
by Cynical Cat
If they were going for accuracy, the hoplites would actually be wearing armour. Its best to think of it as a legend based on the actual historical events.

#9

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 6:12 pm
by Josh
I'll probably settle for watching the 'THIS IS SPARTA' scene on the trailer over and over while waiting for the DVD.

The whole 'New age of freedom' is irksome pandering. That kinda turned me off.

#10

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:22 am
by Stofsk
Petrosjko wrote:I'll probably settle for watching the 'THIS IS SPARTA' scene on the trailer over and over while waiting for the DVD.

The whole 'New age of freedom' is irksome pandering. That kinda turned me off.
Yeah, nobody ever fights for 'police states' or 'oppression' anymore! :razz:

#11

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:35 am
by The Village Idiot
It was damn good, damn good. But I definatly need to see it on I-MAX(8 story screen and ultimate in surround sound.)

#12

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:55 am
by Rogue 9
If anyone goes into this expecting historical accuracy, I can do nothing but point and laugh. Xerxes was actually a Zoroastrian; that should give you your first clue. :lol:

#13

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:00 am
by Dartzap
The Village Idiot wrote:It was damn good, damn good. But I definatly need to see it on I-MAX(8 story screen and ultimate in surround sound.)
When are you moving over here? Theres an I-max literally an hour away from Yeovil :grin:

#14

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:14 am
by The Village Idiot
Dartzap wrote:
The Village Idiot wrote:It was damn good, damn good. But I definatly need to see it on I-MAX(8 story screen and ultimate in surround sound.)
When are you moving over here? Theres an I-max literally an hour away from Yeovil :grin:
Should be there around the middle of April. You can show me where the hell anything is. :cool:

#15

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:18 am
by frigidmagi
If anyone goes into this expecting historical accuracy, I can do nothing but point and laugh. Xerxes was actually a Zoroastrian; that should give you your first clue
Not to break up the laughter Rogue but Xerxes also regularly presented himself as semi-divine the the various barbarian tribes and vassal tribes he conqeared. For example he was Pharoah of Egypt and routined called the son of Sun God by Egyptian officals and the tribes on the shores of the black sea were encouraged to sarifice to him.

This was not an invention of Xeres but a matter of Persian Imperial Policy which sought not to change the culture but to slot the emperor and the imperial instruments into preexisting cultures and religions as the new top strata. This is how Darius expanded Persia from a very small state to the first truely massive empire in human history, as well as weilded peoples as different as the Babalyians, Eyptians, Ioian Greeces, Jews, tribals and etc unto a single empire. This empire was never as culturally unifed as Rome but that was never the aim of the Emperors. As long they were recogized as Supreme Overlord and King of Kings (yes that is an offical title of the Persian Emperor, yo didn't think Christianity just invented it did you?) they were perfectly happy and didn't care what you believed in or how you dressed.

It has been suggested that in the presence of tribal and non-median subjects that the Emperors indulged in a great deal of play acting, Xeres having an offending river whipped during his invasion of Greece for example.

This is not to suggest that the movie is anywhere near accurate, but to remind y'all that the truth is actually stranger then fiction.

#16

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:15 am
by Josh
Stofsk wrote:Yeah, nobody ever fights for 'police states' or 'oppression' anymore! :razz:
*sigh* I know.

#17

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:25 pm
by Josh
Okay, yeah, saw it. Want those two hours back so I could pound an iron spike into my skull or something equally entertaining.

Sorry, it totally didn't work for me.

#18

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:10 pm
by Stofsk
Petrosjko wrote:Okay, yeah, saw it. Want those two hours back so I could pound an iron spike into my skull or something equally entertaining.

Sorry, it totally didn't work for me.
What didn't you like about it?

#19

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:43 pm
by Josh
Stofsk wrote:
Petrosjko wrote:Okay, yeah, saw it. Want those two hours back so I could pound an iron spike into my skull or something equally entertaining.

Sorry, it totally didn't work for me.
What didn't you like about it?
There were various things that irked me, but I could overlook. The constantly working 'FREEDOM' rhetoric into things annoyed, especially given how anachronistic it was, but the real killer was the fucking STUPID subplot with the evil councilor guy. I have been informed by FM that Frank Miller is about as subtle as well, me...

But god damn. He's not just opposing Leonidas, no, he's a TRAITOR. And in case you miss out how bad he is, he's a RAPIST. And then when he gets killed, he conveniently leaks the evidence everywhere to prove he's a TRAITOR.

(And FM has informed me that yes, he could only hide his gold in his belt pouch.)

The entire subplot was useless, and the contrived nature of it made me slap my forehead just as I was finally getting into the battle scenes.

#20

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:01 pm
by Stofsk
OK here's something I have to admit.

I don't like Frank Miller's work. I can respect the influence he has had on comics, but that said I don't actually like it. It seems almost silly in how dark and angsty it all is.

I am talking mainly about DKR.

I didn't watch Sin City, and I'm not sure I'll watch 300 either, I haven't made up my mind.

#21

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:04 pm
by frigidmagi
I can respect that Stofsk. Honestly I didn't think 300 was very angsty, but some might disagree.

#22

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:27 pm
by Josh
Nah, it wasn't angsty at all. The overall tone was appropriately militant and warrior-nation.

(See? I can say positive things about it.)

#23

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:31 pm
by Stofsk
Petrosjko wrote:Nah, it wasn't angsty at all. The overall tone was appropriately militant and warrior-nation.
Ok. That's good. I've watched many a 'comic book adapted to film' project fail because of idiocy, but with regards to 300, I haven't read the original comic. So I don't have any preconceptions or expectations.

(I still think it would have rocked to see the Spartans in Hoplite armour)
(See? I can say positive things about it.)
PS check out my artwork thread

#24

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:33 pm
by Josh
Stofsk wrote:Ok. That's good. I've watched many a 'comic book adapted to film' project fail because of idiocy, but with regards to 300, I haven't read the original comic. So I don't have any preconceptions or expectations.

(I still think it would have rocked to see the Spartans in Hoplite armour)
The comic wasn't particularly angsty either. It's about badass motherfucking Spartans killing lots of people. I think if the movie had stuck with that and left out all the 'FREEDOM!' stuff and the stupid TRAITOR COUNCILOR RAPIST subplot, it would've been okay.
PS check out my artwork thread
Done did so.

#25

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:45 pm
by B4UTRUST
The movie was a good action flick. Beyond that I won't say to much. The council/queen subplot sucked in my opinion. The whole 30 pieces of gold reminded me of Judas. It was not historically accurate, nor meant to be. It's a good action flick.

The slow-mo camera shots during the first charge were kind of annoying in my opinion. Also, I wanted to see the bottom of the damned pit! How deep was it? Where did it go?