300

maybe its just my incessant need to over analyze a thing, but i could not for the life of me get over the racist and rather right-wing american colonialism endorsement sub-text in the film where western rationality battles eastern mysticism and almost wins. stereotypes for schoolyard teenage bullies and nerds to identify with were reinforced. rugged machismo over delicate effeminateness, the muscle over the brain, confrontation over negotiation. it is the stuff for comic books, i guess and i unnecessarily perhaps deconstruct too much.

otherwise, the visuals were spectacular and all that, and the battle sequences exciting for the first three times that they happen, but after a while i was numbed by their monotony. the hollywoodized sub-characters and climax were like a film referencing a comic book which in turn referenced a film. entertaining for a while. like a better made ‘troy’ without brad pitt. as long as the screen was being splattered by slow motion blood stains, and as warriors got dismembered with great gusto, it was really fun. when it began to take itself semi-seriously i began to lose patience.