Before I begin the review, I must say: First, I am sorry that a self-proclaimed nerd like me took so long to see this movie, especially after how much I liked Sin City. Second, it is truly fun to watch a movie like this with three nerds and a geek. We were all very into the movie, and making cross-nerd references to other movies.
OK. On to the review.
Much like drinking wine at a winery, watching a movie among such friends surely enhanced the experience, but this movie plain and simple rocked. It was fun, it was suspenseful, it was dramatic. For a visual artist like me, it was pure pleasure as the images took the form of graphic art, not just a movie.
The fact that it managed to hold suspense is quite a feat: I’ve read Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield, the fantastic historical fiction that recounts the same battle of Thermopylae (see Ken, I was right- it was Thermopylae). The acting was superb. It managed to be soft and real when necessary, but melodramatic when the graphic-novelness was needed. Acting on a set that is almost entirely blue screen must be challenging. Once again, Frank Miller’s gorgeous comics graphic novels come to life.
As my four loyal readers may have noticed by my review of other films, I’m a bit of a sucker for well crafted melodrama. Add the stunning visual images and my interest in Greek history, and I could watch this movie over and over.
[rate 5]
So am I the geek because I got my Herodotus wrong, or am I the geek because I actually own the ‘300’ comic books (still in mint condition lovingly stored in sealed plastic bags)?
No, Carlton’s the geek, because his hobby is computers; the rest of us are nerds.
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