300 - Evan G.

Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) brings us the epic motion picture, 300, based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller and the true story of three-hundred Spartans taking on a Persian army of 100,000. Darius, a Persian king, plans to conquer the Greeks after he has already easily conquered the outer city-states. Athens knows they are Persia's next target, and beg Sparta for help. Sparta refuses, leaving Athens to fend for themselves. Athens is able to gain victory over the army of 10,000 in the Battle of Marathon, ending the first Persian War. Unfortunately, 10 years later, Darius's son, Xerxes, comes to destroy Athens and take revenge, and this is where 300 begins.

King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) of Sparta is threatened from Persian messengers with the enslaving of his women and children. Leonidas wants to march Sparta's army into Persia to launch an attack, but the oracle will not allow him because "war" was not officially declared. So instead, he decides to "take a stroll" with three-hundred voluntary Spartan warriors as his bodyguards. They arrive at the edge of the Gulf of Malis, emerging from a mountain pass, where they find Xerxes's naval ships and 100,000 Persians, thus beginning the Battle of Thermopylae as part of the second Persian War.

300 is astonishing, full of endless battle scenes and tons of gore - the special effects are some of the best. Tyler Bates soundtrack is exceptional as well. 300 does not stay entirely factual to what really happened as it is based on a novel, but it all made for a better movie. 300 is one of the best action films I've seen since The Lord of the Rings.