The advent of CG in modern day films has not only paved the way for more immersive special effects and landscapes on films, but also allowed for more stylised and created visions to be realised on screen, the aim of which is not photo-realism but an artistic aesthetic, allowing for more creative and unique visions making their way to the cinema.
As adaptation of graphic novels go it was Sin City that has provided the recent turning points, it advocacy of green screen filming with entirely CG environments allowed the creators the control to make it look exactly like the original artwork and here Zack Snyder takes it to the next level with this gorgeous to look at and wonderfully over the top re-telling of the battle of Persia, where 300 men defended the city against the approaching army of one million men.
Gerard Butler play King Leonidas the leader of the impossibly muscled warriors who take it on themselves to defend their land, the sweeping slo-mo landscapes and chiselled heroes give the film a definite graphic novel look that approaches its subject matter with the air of fanboy enthusiasm. This is not a deep or realistic film by any stretch of the imagination, this is an all out action packed romp through history with some well choreographed fight scenes and some hilariously entertaining sequences.
The tone is deliberately macho and sometimes the film walks a fine line between its furrowed brow seriousness and the camp homo-erotic leanings that often perturb the genre, it manages to just about stay on the side of reality thanks in part to Butlers towering central performance, you believe him as a leader and when the CG and the constant dramatic music get too much it is often Butler that saves the moment.
Speaking of which the CG is great, well implemented and its use in the battle scenes help convey the ferociousness of the fighting, limbs get chopped people get mutilated, it’s nice for once to see a film primarily about swords where they actually inflict damage on their victims. The fantastical elements that sit alongside the film niggle at first but when the true nature of the film is revealed at the end they make sense and some of the creatures and enemies the army faces are excellently designed and realised.
Basically the film is one long action scene, the quieter moments in between are decently done on the soldiers side, but a subplot involving Leonidas’ wife and the council back at the town falls flat, dull and unbelievable it drags time away from the conflict. Couple this to the films short run time and you get a film that in retrospect is rather thin, it doesn’t stop it entertaining but holds it back from being a film of substance that will be fondly remembered.
Overall this is a film that will delight action fans and that plays particularly to its target audience. The visual look helps it stand out from the crowd and yet you get the feeling the story is never fully exploited, its slim plot and potentially cheesy set-ups help dull the emotional impact and make it ultimately more forgetful than it should be.
Big dumb fun it most certainly is but at times 300 feels a little like empty calories rather than a true feast for anything other than the eyes.
The advent of CG in modern day films has not only paved the way for more immersive special effects and landscapes on films, but also allowed for more stylised and created visions to be realised on screen, the aim of which is not photo-realism but an artistic aesthetic, allowing for more creative and unique visions making their way to the cinema.
As adaptation of graphic novels go it was Sin City that has provided the recent turning points, it advocacy of green screen filming with entirely CG environments allowed the creators the control to make it look exactly like the original artwork and here Zack Snyder takes it to the next level with this gorgeous to look at and wonderfully over the top re-telling of the battle of Persia, where 300 men defended the city against the approaching army of one million men.
Gerard Butler play King Leonidas the leader of the impossibly muscled warriors who take it on themselves to defend their land, the sweeping slo-mo landscapes and chiselled heroes give the film a definite graphic novel look that approaches its subject matter with the air of fanboy enthusiasm. This is not a deep or realistic film by any stretch of the imagination, this is an all out action packed romp through history with some well choreographed fight scenes and some hilariously entertaining sequences.
The tone is deliberately macho and sometimes the film walks a fine line between its furrowed brow seriousness and the camp homo-erotic leanings that often perturb the genre, it manages to just about stay on the side of reality thanks in part to Butlers towering central performance, you believe him as a leader and when the CG and the constant dramatic music get too much it is often Butler that saves the moment.
Speaking of which the CG is great, well implemented and its use in the battle scenes help convey the ferociousness of the fighting, limbs get chopped people get mutilated, it’s nice for once to see a film primarily about swords where they actually inflict damage on their victims. The fantastical elements that sit alongside the film niggle at first but when the true nature of the film is revealed at the end they make sense and some of the creatures and enemies the army faces are excellently designed and realised.
Basically the film is one long action scene, the quieter moments in between are decently done on the soldiers side, but a subplot involving Leonidas’ wife and the council back at the town falls flat, dull and unbelievable it drags time away from the conflict. Couple this to the films short run time and you get a film that in retrospect is rather thin, it doesn’t stop it entertaining but holds it back from being a film of substance that will be fondly remembered.
Overall this is a film that will delight action fans and that plays particularly to its target audience. The visual look helps it stand out from the crowd and yet you get the feeling the story is never fully exploited, its slim plot and potentially cheesy set-ups help dull the emotional impact and make it ultimately more forgetful than it should be.
Big dumb fun it most certainly is but at times 300 feels a little like empty calories rather than a true feast for anything other than the eyes.
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