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So what did you think of 300? Or other movies?
So it’s official - 300 is the first bona-fide blockbuster of 2007, with a boffo opening of $70 million this weekend.
I quite liked the movie myself and was wondering what you thought of it.
I was amused/puzzled by a lot of my fellow critics who tried to find “meaning” or “significance” where none exists - nor do they need to, I would argue. And don’t even get me started on how 300 is supposedly a metaphor for the Iraq war, or my eyes just may roll out of my head.
I thought New York Times critic A.O. Scott was way too hard on the film, but I did like this line: “…it offers up a bombastic spectacle of honor and betrayal, rendered in images that might have been airbrushed onto a customized van sometime in the late 1970s.”
If you didn’t see 300, feel free to tell me about anything else you’ve seen in theaters or at home. Who knows, you might even turn me onto something.
Here’s a rundown of what I’ve seen lately:
300 B+
Bridge to Terabithia A-
Zodiac B+
Ghost Rider D+
Music and Lyrics B
Breach B+
Black Snake Moan A-
Fire away!
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Ask the Audience
Comments
By SRCputt
March 14, 2007 10:16 AM | Link to this
One of the reasons I labelled this a fun goofy movie is that it portrays the homophobic heroes of Sparta with all their male bonding rituals and then, for a male oriented movie, spent a lot of time lovingly looking at all the male beefcake in the film. Don’t think the filmmakers didn’t know that. And there is a difference between having the main character be homophobic and the movie being homophobic. I also have a hard time labelling the film racist just because they portrayed an African army as having black people in it.By Sir Critic
March 12, 2007 8:13 PM | Link to this
Wow. I’d debate those points, Zack, but hold that thought while I chase my eyes down the hall. At least we see “eye-to-eye” on the other titles!By Zack
March 12, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this
Not only is “300” a blatant argument for the Iraq war (“Freedom isn’t free”), it’s also incredibly racist (all the villains are non-white, all the heroes are white), homophobic (all the villains are effeminate and otherwise stereotypically queer, if not outright gay; all the heroes are proudly heterosexual and call even their non-Spartan allies “boy-lovers”), and cheerfully fascist (no explanation needed, I trust). Not only is it offensive, but it’s got some of the worst dialogue I’ve heard in eons. And don’t get me started on the narration, which made me feel like I was watching a Descriptive Video Service version of the movie. It’s absolutely one of the worst movies I’ve seen so far this year. On a happier note, I’d give Zodiac a B+, Ghost Rider a C-, Breach a B+/B, and Black Snake Moan a B+/B.By Allie D.
March 12, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this
I saw Zodiac on Thursday (A-) and 300 yesterday (A). It was a great return to the theaters for me after a few weeks of not seeing much. I’d love see Black Snake Moan. That’s probably next on my list. I agree with you about people trying to look for too much meaning in 300. It did exactly what it was supposed to do, and it did it beautifully. I have made a habit of reading your reviews after I write mine just to see how similar we end up being. I cracked up with Zodiac because we pretty much agreed to the word, particularly regarding its problems with narration. Still though — I thought the film was fantastic for its acting and visual artistry.