300 in IMax

Watching 300 in IMax is kind of like being one of the photographers down on the field during a football game. You get some great shots, but you're likely to take a few shots, as well, running the risk of getting clobbered in the process. Ok, that's stretching it a bit, but you get the idea: Lots of blood and gore (it is, after all, about the battle of Thermopylae at which the 300 Spartans were eventually slaughtered), compelling scenes, an interesting set of story lines, and (did I mention?) lots of blood and gore make for a powerful experience, even without IMax.

Having looked through Frank Miller's graphic novel after watching the movie, I have say that I'm more impressed with the movie. Miller's drawing style is powerful and intriguing, but it's rough, in keeping with some of the subject matter. That's all well and good, but my personal preference for comics is a more polished illustration style. That's not always the case - Miller's Sin City has a very clean look, all black and white, stark and crisp. Even my favorite comic book artist, Jack Kirby, had his share of drawings where the precision of the illustration took a back seat to conveying the action or meaning of a given panel.

There were a number of scenes in the movie that were particularly striking: The discussion between Leonidas and Xerxes, where Xerxes walks down his immense, moving throne and on the backs of his bearers; the debate in the council of elders, where the (very hot) queen runs through the traitor; the confrontation between the young Leonidas and the wolf. Really, really good stuff.

By the way, this movie is not for kids. Please don't do what some of the folks in our audience did and bring in pre-teens. It's just not appropriate for them, whether the movie is based on a comic book or not. This isn't Disney, and I'm happy for that.