Amazon.com: 300: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro: Amazon Instant Video

300

"300" is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the deathagainst Xerxes and his massive Persian army.

Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes
Release year: 2007
Studio: Warner Bros.

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Synopsis: "300" is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the deathagainst Xerxes and his massive Persian army.

Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey

Supporting actors: David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Genre: Action, Fantasy, History, War

Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes

Captions and Subtitles: Details

Release year: 2007

Studio: Warner Bros.

MPAA Rating: Rated R for graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity

ASIN: B000V39KDO

Rights & Requirements

Rental rights: 48 hour viewing period. Details

Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details

Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

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173 of 206 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 300: Inspiring Tale Magnificently Told March 11, 2007

By G P Padillo VINE™ VOICE

A more intense shot of testosterone you will not find in any film. Equal parts bravado, guts and glory, "300" is simply the most exciting film to come out this year - or in several. Criticized for its violence and gore, fans of Miller's graphic novels will find that violence and gore to be as beautifully depicted on the screen as in the print version. A highly hyped CGI affair the cast could easily have been overcome by the sheer impressiveness of the physical production. To his credit director Zack Snyder is blessed with and uses a cast every bit equal to the challenge of competing with Miller's dark fantastic take of the Spartan's greatest story.

Gerard Butler (Phantom of the Opera, Dear Frankie, etc.) adds yet another impressive and wildly different character to his arsenal of screen roles. As Leonidas, King of Sparta, Butler is, from his pigtail to his muscled, sandled feet, every inch a king; a true leader of men. His passion and intensity is matched by a splendid performance by Lena Headey as his wife, Queen Gorgo. Though a dutiful wife and a woman in an age when being such was near equal to slave status, she is, in her way, as bold and fearless as her husband/King. Dominic West is properly evil and oily as the traitor Theron and he's as nasty and duplicitous a villain as one can hope for. Rodrigo Santoro as a larger-than-life Xerxes is both comical and fearfully creepy equal parts drag queen and wanna be god. Behind all the glitzy piercings and bling, he is little more than self-inflated egotistical child.

While there is blood and gore aplenty, the film also happens to be emotionally satisfying and I found myself with tears welling up in my eyes more than a few times, as well as wanting to raise my fist in the air along with the jacked-up Spartans!... Read more ›

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105 of 131 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is Sparta! June 2, 2007

By E. A Solinas HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:HD DVD

Frank Miller adaptations are on a roll. First we got "Sin City," and now we have the story of three hundred Spartans who repelled a massive invasion.

And the adaptation of "300" is a stunning one -- literally stunning, since it bombards the viewer with larger-than-life characters, smashing visuals and tight direction. It goes a bit too fast for its own good, but it's a truly epic film that takes the historical war movie to another level -- all the more so because it actually happened.

As the introduction tells us, the Spartans were the ultimate warrior people. Babies were inspected for weakness or faults, and killed if they had any; as they were growing up, they were taught and toughened by a savage regimen. Their only true hope was to "die beautifully" for their land.

A Persian messenger arrives, telling King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) that the god-king Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) wants the Spartans to bow to him. Leonidas' response: shove the Persians into a pit. But before he can go to war, he must consult the corrupt priesthood of Ephors and their beautiful Oracle. She predicts that Sparta will fall and the gods forbid war at the approach of the Carneaian festival -- courtesy of a hefty bribe from a Spartan traitor.

So Leonidas takes out three hundred of his best men, along with their nervy Arcadian allies, and begin trouncing the Persians. But they are being sabotaged, both by a hunchbacked outcast and by a treacherous councilor, whom Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) is battling. And so at Thermopylae, Leonidas prepares for a final battle against the monstrous Persian Army -- knowing that their story of freedom will live on....

This is not a "sensitive" movie where you have any appreciation for the bad guys -- it's a glorification of three hundred soldiers who died for their land and freedom. It just wouldn't work otherwise. It doesn't blindly adore the Spartans -- we see their darker side in their "weed out the weak" policy -- but it does appreciate them. They respect and care about each other, and Leonidas is as kind as he can be even to Ephialtes, the traitor.

And it's done in a manner appropriate to its comic book origins -- grimy, bloody and epic, but with a stylized look that is almost like CGI. The battles are shockingly good, and full of fantasy-ish creations like the monstrous creatures or the silver-masked Immortals. Even a wall of corpses. But we also get some beautiful visuals as well -- roiling seas, sunlit battlefields, Spartan cities, and the drugged Oracle in her white veil.

While the script gets a bit over-the-top at times, it's hard not to be moved by dialogue that can be darkly funny ("It's just an eye. The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare") or stirring ("He did not wish tribute, nor song, or monuments or poems of war and valor. His wish was simple: "Remember us." That was his hope, should any free soul come across that place, in all the countless centuries yet to be").

Butler and Headey are simply great as Leonidas and Gorgo -- they're both strong, passionate and fearless, and they both do a great job in their separate storylines. But the movie is filled with good performances -- David Wenham as the narrator, Dominic West as a disgusting traitor, Santoro as the decadent, arrogant god-king, and many others.

This version contains both the regular and high-def versions, and apparently contains a small wealth of extras -- featurettes about the history of Thermopylae and the 300 Spartans, photo galleries, info on the Spartan culture, commentary, deleted scenes, and info on Frank Miller (who, of course, wrote the original graphic novel). It's sort of the decorative icing on a cake -- not necessary to enjoy the film, but it makes it just a bit better.

"300" is a unique, stirring, stunning movie that pushes the action-movie envelope, and gives a thrilling edge to a real-life story of overwhelming power. A brilliant movie. Read more ›

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79 of 99 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Give them nothing but take from them...everything!" March 9, 2007

By H. Bala TOP 500 REVIEWER

Amazon Verified Purchase

As a guy, if this film doesn't get your blood churning and your testosterone pumped up to a deliriously critical level, well, you're either dead inside or you're a Tibetan monk with complete mastery over your cardiovascular and hormonal systems. 300 is a man's man's man's flick and is a muscular love poem which celebrates the ideals of honor, courage, sacrifice, and standing up for your beliefs. Righteous stuff.

Not being much of a history buff, the only famous last stands I can instantly come up with are the Battles of the Alamo, of the Little Big Horn, and of Thermopylae (I guess I could also throw in Game 7 between the Lakers and the Blazers, 2000). Of these, the legendary Battle of Thermopylae is the most dramatic and is the mother of all last stands. I first heard about the Battle of Thermopylae (480BC) and the 300 Spartans way back when I was in high school, and I thought it a nifty story from the very first. A few years ago, I read Frank Miller's graphic novel 300 and enjoyed it tremendously, not caring at all that he altered things here and there as he opted instead to focus on the story's artistry, its sense of grandeur, and its mythological aspects. The filmmakers, make no mistake, take their cue from Mr. Miller. Remnants of historical facts are still somewhat represented under the film's glossy veneer but with some tweaking. You just have to see past the somewhat ridiculous parade of grotesque LORD OF THE RINGS-like creatures which Xerxes and director Zack Snyder send out....

SPOILERS begin now:

The film itself begins with the voiceover detailing the austere Spartan credo as we watch a baby boy quickly transition thru several phases of maturation as he grows into a young man, all the while being instructed and severely tested in the extremely brutal and uncompromising warrior ways of his people. We see him confronting his final test and craftily passing it, thus officially entering the ranks of Spartan soldierhood. This young man is Leonidas, who will become the king of the Greek city-state, Sparta.

We pick up decades later as a Persian emissary pays a visit to King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his proud, beautiful wife and Queen, Gorgo (Lena Headey). The Persian calls for Sparta's submission to Xerxes, the God-King of Persia. After some deliberation, Leonidas's response isn't as much couched in diplomacy as it's couched in a sandal which propels the haughty emissary into a deep pit. Then, against the wishes of a lecherous, inbred group of mystics (who, nevertheless, control the Oracle) and the wishy-washy Spartan council, Leonidas gathers the 300 most capable soldiers in Sparta and, armed with a clever strategic plan, marches away to take on the vast hordes of the Persian invasion. If you've read your Greek history, you know what happens next...

End SPOILERS.

300 is bold in its scope and relentless in its take-no-prisoners attitude. It is a sweeping and sumptuously stark visual feast and would've made Frank Frazetta cream on his canvas. If 300 is based on Frank Miller's work (and it is), then Miller's art has to have been influenced in some ways by the great Frazetta. The film is saturated in mostly monochromatic hues which lend luster and even more drama to the bold crimsons of the Spartans' cloaks and the frequent spatters of blood and guts. I'm not normally a fan of slo-mo sequences, but I have to admit that, this time, the slo-mo-abruptly-segueing-into-fluid-motion (yeah, I think that's the technical term) bits are nicely executed and result in more thrilling battle scenes. The sword/spear fights are so stylized anyway that, after a while, they resemble a form of ballet. But a manly ballet, with hair on it. And, I don't often mention music in relation to films, but composer Tyler Bates truly adds an extra dimension of thrills with his thundering, pulse-pounding score. For sure, I'm gonna own this soundtrack.

Gerard Butler comes into his own here. With his compelling and righteous performance, with towering machismo sweating out of his pores, he out-GLADIATORs Russell Crowe and, by comparison, reduces that silly ponce into a puddle of wussiness. No doubt, you and I'll be directly quoting from Leonidas in days to come: "This...is...SPARTA!" or "Tonight, we dine in Hell!" or (my favorite) "Give them nothing but take from them...everything!" As Leonidas, Butler displays all the innate qualities of leadership necessary to command an elite force like the Spartans, he's very convincing. Yet, his fierce and uncompromising temperament and his joy in battle are tempered by the obvious love and respect he holds for his wife. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, by his ideals and actions, he paved the way for the Greeks eventually routing the Persian masses.

Lena Headey as the beleaguered Queen proves to be a match for Leonidas as she attempts to fight tooth and nail on the homefront to get the council off its collective arses and muster reinforcements for her husband. As Gorgo, Headey works hard to be fierce, dedicated, intelligent, and realistic. The actress is successful as I never doubted for a sec that this resolute woman is a Spartan to the very core. Her main adversary is the virulent Theron (Dominic West), a politician who reeks of underhandedness while holding a certain resemblance to Harry Hamlin. Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro has a showy but crucial part as the towering and deep-voiced King Xerxes.

In the world of sword-and-sandal cinema, 300 quickly separates itself from the likes of TROY and ALEXANDER. I'd place it at the same excellent level as GLADIATOR. The story is unmatchable in its timelessness and resonance, the action is non-stop and visually compelling, the images are oh-so-memorable, and the lead characters are mezmerizing. And, from a mythological standpoint and in terms of cultural impact, the brave yet tragic 300 Spartans strike a chord as no other heroes do as they continue to be a testament to steadfast loyalty and courage in the face of overwhelming odds. "Go tell the Spartans..." Read more ›

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