300 [DVD] [2007]

300 has been a go to movie for me since the day I saw it in the cinema. The story of how the Greeks fought off the Persians at the battle of Thermopylae is stuff of legend and has been adapted into one of the most enjoyable action films of the last twenty years.The film was originally released in 2007. It is inspired by Frank Miller/Lynn Varley comic book of the same name. This in turn was inspired by the real battle of times past. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, features a screen play by Snyder/Johnstad/Gordon and cinematography by Larry Fong. The cast of the movie includes Gerard Butler as the legendary Spartan king, Leonidas. His wife Gorgo is played by Lena Headey, Persian ruler Xerxes is played by Rodrigo Santoro and there's a number of actors from the time scattered through out.I have always felt that 300 didn't quite get the praise it deserved. The story is pretty basic, that I understand. It doesn't need to be complex and it keeps it about as simple as it could be without being down right stupid. It's not entirely accurate to history either, a common complaint. But it's never been advertised as such. The visual effects, the art style, the music and the condition that the actors got in for the film has really got to be commended. There's some incredible style choices that we've come to expect from Snyder found in this movie that has only worked in this film. For whatever reason, all the slow motion, the CGI backdrops, blood splatter etc has aged a lot better here than it has in any other film of his. Not only that, but it looks absolutely stunning in 4k.My original bluray already looked stunning, as did the sequel film. But when I saw it at discount, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to buy 300 for a tenner. A great price for this film in 4k, if you ask me. It was a great idea for sure. I originally bought the Blade Runner movies (which look incredible) and 300 sits alongside them in terms of visual and audio quality quite easily. The image is clear, sharp, strong and the sound is extremely immersive. It's a bare bones disc but it really counts where it needs it.300 has its fans and those that don't like it will never consider the 4k disc. But those that like it, they should definitely pick this up for the extra visual depth. It's an incredible looking movie that has aged surprisingly well. It's the ultimate sweaty violent masculine experience and we need more films like this!

I think people who point out that the film is not historically accurate are missing the point. This is a dramatisation based on real events, as are very many excellent films around similar topics (Zulu, anyone?). It is not historically slavish in its approach, and makes absolutely no pretence in being so. If you want the best in historical accuracy (as we know it - much of which is still guesswork and supposition) then watch the History Channel programme 'Spartans - The Last Stand of the 300'. However, if you want a spectacular, stylised, extremely well acted action movie then 300 fulfils that role perfectly. It does take all of the key historical elements as ingredients - the pass at Thermopylae, the wrecked Persian fleet, the shaky intra-Greek alliance, the Delphian Oracle, the suspected betrayal by a fellow Greek - but each is skillfully embellished and stylised to enhance the look and feel of this epic experience.Yes, there is a great deal of macho posturing, yes, there are seas of rippling abs, yes, there are a many snarled lines of dialogue from Gerard Butler. The point is that of all the races which have ever existed on planet Earth, the elite of the Sparta were *the* most likely to have actually looked and behaved in just such a manner. All Spartans trained from the age of 7 to be the strongest, toughest, and most fearless men imagineable, and these 300 were the very pinnacle of that ideal. To me, their representation in 300 is entirely believable. Remember that this is taken from a graphic novel, and part of the directoral guidance would be to make the movie look and feel like a graphic novel. With its extreme contrast and muted colour look, it achieves this every bit as successfully as does Sin City.I have seen this movie many times, and each time I manage to take somthing new from it. It is richly detailed, emotionally engaging on almost every level, and fantastic in the true meaning of the word, without being unbelievable. The movie is true to itself, true to its source subject matter, and when viewed in this context, it is utterly immersive.Fantastic. Absolutely top marks.

The quality is great and it didn't lag at all.