Saw it this weekend and had a blast. So did my son & wife. A couple scenes that were racy but not too uncomfortable to sit through with a 14YO alongside.

The effects are mesmerizing. They aren't the film though just the way the story is told. You notice them when they happen such as when there is frozen action (usually with a tremendous gout of blood) and the "camera" pans to a different angle but they are over quickly and you are onto the next. The film never stops once it gets going.

The acting is fine and serves the story well but don't look for a deep story. I've read some criticism on the historical accuracy but that misses the point. It is a movie made from a graphic novel, in the style of a graphic novel, with the graphics of a graphic novel. In that regard it is a sight to behold, really a visual treat and points out what the future of moviemaking holds in regards to freedom. Being a longtime sci-fi buff my mind boggles at what stories may come to life.

http://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/x/J/N/300poster2.jpg

I really liked it as well.

Fox Movie Channel recently ran the 1962 film "The 300 Spartans" which I DVR'ed and plan to watch soon (just for the comparison).... :D

I too was amazed! Loved it! Have always rooted for the underdog. Maybe not the deepest story but great story telling. Also I thought the acting was very very good. The cinematography was incredible! Boggles the mind what they can do now days with a green screen. Check out the 300 website. I give it two thumbs way up. Am seriously thinking about making a movie room now. The surround sound at the theatre was so intense.

ya, we really liked it too! i mean REALLY liked it!! Two things i would have liked better...well maybe three...first is i wish it were DTS. second, i wish the narrator would have had a little deeper, more powerful voice. near the end, when he was addressing the troops, he got much more worked up and that was better.

But still...deffinatly gonna buy it when it comes out!!

oh yeah...any stargate sg-1 fans?
Xerxces = Gould? :)

scolba re your comment on sg-1, it was filming local to me when I drove by one day and thought I was part of the show, Gould were standing outside talking
to each other, probably about what the wife was on them about. LOL
300 is on my to see list, looking forward to the spectacle.

Eye candy from beginning to end. The CGI blood did flow.

Didn't mind the politics as much as other people did -- don't think it was as blatant as others thought. I'm used to being preached to -- I watch anime, after all.

Repeatedly when I watched it, I was thinking "This sure looks a LOT like one of the newer breed of Chinese movie (usually by Hong Kong people,filmed in the mainland, like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and that ilk). Looking at the credits and reading up on it, sure enough - it is basically a Chinese-made movie.

I appreciate all the comments made, and I liked much of it, too --some parts were extremely well-done, but I think it would have benefitted a little if it were just a little bit less "Chinese", and moved a little (maybe 10-20 percent) towards a less extremely stylized, more Western/Hollywood version. Got a little "heavy" in spots and after a while with the style and effects, I thought. Almost effects for effects' sake, so to speak. I would like to be transported by a film, not repeatedly thinking, "Oh, more stylized effects!" so often.

The director did say, though, that he was trying to tell the legend, not the history. I thought he did that, throwing historical accuracy almost entirely out the window but making visually interesting film with some feeling to it.

Now if they would just release it on LaserDisc....:D

... it would have benefitted a little if it were just a little bit less "Chinese", and moved a little (maybe 10-20 percent) towards a less extremely stylized, more Western/Hollywood version. Yeezh, no. What's the point in making yet another typical Hollywood action flick? Quite frankly, I think its extremely highly stylization was its biggest selling point. Possibly its only selling point (albeit, enough for me).

scolba re your comment on sg-1, it was filming local to me when I drove by one day and thought I was part of the show, Gould were standing outside talking
to each other, probably about what the wife was on them about. LOL

thats so cool!! i would love to have seen that, though security would probably have to drag me away. :)

one thing though....im always amused as to how much alien worlds look like the pac NW. :D

Yeezh, no. What's the point in making yet another typical Hollywood action flick? Quite frankly, I think its extremely highly stylization was its biggest selling point. Possibly its only selling point (albeit, enough for me).

Total agreement there.

It was a movie made from a graphic comic book.

In that regard, it seemed like a home run to me.