300 (2006)

I have to share a little anecdote concerning this one: at one point in time, I attended a bookfair. Naturally, I was perusing the comics section, as I do. Next to me was a clichéd hipsternerd explaining lots of things to his supposed girlfriend, who clearly was oblivious to the fact that he had no clue what he was talking about. Anyway, he picked up a copy of Frank Miller's '300', flipped a few pages and exclaimed how lazy the writers were for literally copying the images from screen to page.

After that, I knew there was no hope left for humanity.

But still, let's keep going, shall we?

Of course, it should be pointed out that it is in fact, quite the opposite. Zack Snyder has diligently tried to copy the look and feel of the comic to the big screen and not to mince words, but he succeeded. In some areas, he even improved on the story and his stylized way of shooting action, complete with slow motion (which has now often become one of the reasons why people bitch about Snyder) works wonderfully with the material on hand. Every shot has a unique colourscheme befitting what is happening.

Gerard Butler is great as king Leonidas, by the way. Yes, you might wonder how a Scotsman could portray a Greek king, but does it really matter? I mean, have you seen his abs? Or his beard? His delivery? His linereading is so instantly quotable, it's infectious.

Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes interests me a lot less, but that is because his character is a little dull. He literally a larger than life persona who believes himself a god. Well, sure, but that doesn't make for the most compelling villain.

The main attraction is the action, and boy, does this one deliver with blood and guts and intense close-ups! You yourself will feel larger than life and immersed in the story at these points. When they start spewing dialogue, it often is a little too comic-y (which makes sense), but as soon as that pumping soundtrack fires up, you know you're in for one hell of a ride.

For me, I love how they expanded on the role of the queen (played by Lena Heady). She always does a wonderful job with whatever is thrown at her and this one is no different. In a way, she's a lot tougher than the soldiers and that carries over on screen. Great job!

Is this the perfect comic book film? I feel inclined to disagree on that front, but it sure as hell is one of the great ones.