When we popped the movie “300″, which is a stylized version of Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name, ala Sin City, at first i have to admit, I thought this movie was a bit full of itself.  The scenes seemed overly dramatized, and the stylized, slow motion capturing of images and somewhat melodramatic acting caught me off guard a bit.  But if you can suspend reality enough, and learn to appreciate the obviously different modicum of movie making, you can appreciate the movie “300″ and really enjoy it for what it is : unadulterated entertainment.

The movie features relative unknowns who are decent actors, and the  movie is shot like Sin City, with a partially black and white screen with bits of color interjected, alternated with scenes in pretty much full color.  The movie follows the Spartans, notoriously fierce fighters and the best soldiers in all of the Mediterranean.  When their freedom is threatened, their king, a fierce fighter and impassioned man himself, they take 300 of their best men, without the consent of their equivalent of the senate, and they march off to defeat their enemy, the Persians and their king who thinks he’s a god, Xerxes. 

The sets are pretty amazing and the visual effects at times are stunning, but it’s not over the top with the effects, especially since this movie had not planned to be the blockbuster it ended up being.  Their is some graphic violence, but they get away with it because of the way the movie is shot.  The actors in this film will no doubt get some good follow up work out of being in the movie, as it was well acted for the most part, and the premise of warriors fighting for their freedom with nothing more than passion and sheer willpower, will no doubt appeal to the American masses. 

All in all, if you’re in the mood for pure entertainment, rent “300″ but keep an open mind, and remember that this is a whole different style of film making.  If you can appreciate it for what it is, you just may really enjoy it!