300

OK, so you knew I was going to see this movie despite the critical drubbing, out of love for Gerard Butler. And I did go see it last night, nauseous with trepidation.

Before we go into the movie's flaws (of which I don't think many of the critics were clear), I would like to point out the good parts. Gerard Butler is, of course, hot. So are all the Spartans. Michael Fassbender, I don't remember you in Band of Brothers, but you better believe I'm going to go rewatch it now because you were absolutely fantastic. The funny thing is that it's kind of a long music video, so when they stop for dialogue that isn't screamed, THAT feels out of place. Still, the dialogue that isn't "a civics lesson" as Newsweek so aptly described it is pretty good and funny, mostly the stuff cribbed from Herodotus, who is a great read. I recommend The Histories to anyone, just because Herodotus is the most readable and entertaining of the ancient prose writers. The fight scenes are very good, as is the music. Lena Headey's dresses are also quite nice.

Problems:
the voice-over/storytelling aspect is too much -- waaaay too much
Rodrigo Santoro, who is so dull and misused on Lost, is unrecognizable, extremely tall, and very weird as Xerxes. I'm not saying he didn't nail Xerxes as a character, but the character itself is very weird
a crippled hunchback seeking revenge is the downfall of the 300 -- that makes me uncomfortable; Dominic West plays an asshole and does it well -- that makes me more
uncomfortable
the political overtones: sure, Leonidas and his men are bitchin' soldiers who know how to fight, are defending freedom, and all that crap, but they're also completely insane and Leonidas, while brave, is also extremely proud, so proud that he's willing to die and let all of his soldiers die rather than bow down to Xerxes -- and then there are the other Greeks, who go along with the Spartans, except they're not as good soldiers (they have lives, you know, and real jobs) and they also care about their lives -- they're killed faster, but they also get the hell out of there when they realize they're doomed; there's no shame in living to fight another day, but try and tell Leonidas that
what metaphors one takes away from that are up to the audience, though it doesn't help that the one voice of Spartan reason against war on Xerxes also happens to be a traitor (if that was supposed to inspire liberal guilt, it sure worked), and the black-and-white, Leonidas is right, Xerxes is evil, the government needs to support its soldiers, no questions asked, and the rest of the Greeks are kind of wusses... it's hard not to feel the pinch
however, this isn't then, and America isn't exactly an underdog... of all people, the Iranians shouldn't be offended by the movie -- they should just ignore it; it's silly and has nothing to do with them now
it's silly -- the movie is very melodramatic and very silly

I would say, if you like Gerard Butler, go see it. If you can ignore the voice-over and the lame "freedom at all costs" propaganda, you'll have a good time.