300, part deux
Trekked down south to see "300" on an IMAX screen with Nici and Elvis. Man, am I glad I did. Unlike my first experience with a major release on IMAX -- the splayed, pale, and grainy 35mm SPIDER-MAN -- these digitally remastered screenings are events unto themselves. First BATMAN BEGINS, then 300. Thank you, WB, for doing it again.
On to the movie...
DAMN! Was that cool.
Okay, now onto the ever-so-slightly more intelligent review...
I've read Frank Miller's graphic novel, the basis for this week's wide-release of "300." I really liked it, but kind of wondered how they'd stretch that into a feature. With the deft application of cool sub-plots, that's how. Combine that with as faithful a visual translation of Frank's stuff as I've ever seen (think SIN CITY faithful, with a different aesthetic), some of the coolest period ultraviolence ever onscreen, and voila! Very cool adaptation, great visual experience, and I even got a little choked up at the end.
The entire story of the Spartans has been transformed into myth in the centuries since the famous stand, and you can check out the History Channel this week for differences between the history and the story told in "300." It's stylized, it's slightly supernatural, and it's just wicked cool. There's really no place for the Spartan mind-set in our contemporary world, and that's probably a good thing; nobody should be that hardcore. It certainly is fun to watch, though.
I'm so glad I got to see it on an IMAX screen once. Biggest screens in the world and 12,000W of digital surround sound really do make it the ultimate movie-going experience.
Now, if only movie theaters would learn to recognize that if you're putting "300" on an IMAX screen, you'll sell out the early show and really need to staff better. The lines at the concession stands were too long to get snacks, and I decided to abandon that quest for the sake of good seats. I think Nici, Elvis, and myself were all happy with that decision.
Best movie ever made? Probably not, but I'm having trouble thinking of any marks against it. I really enjoyed it and I know I will see it onscreen at least one more time while it's in theaters.
Oh, and XM I curse you. You and that damned '90s channel that got "Livin' La Vida Loca" stuck in my head again. Why oh why am I such a sucker for the cool guitar riff?