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| 300 (Widescreen Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Zack Snyder
Actors: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $2.34
You Save: $17.64 (88%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $2.34
Avg. Customer Rating:  (1103 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1465
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 116 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: WARD73662D
UPC: 012569736627
EAN: 0012569736627
ASIN: B000QXDED6
Release Date: July 31, 2007
Theatrical Release Date: March 9, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Description
The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen with the blood, thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, it depicts the titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint. And moviemaking with a cutting edge.
Amazon.com
Like Sin City before it, 300 brings Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's graphic novel vividly to life. Gerard Butler (Beowulf and Grendel, The Phantom of the Opera) radiates pure power and charisma as Leonidas, the Grecian king who leads 300 of his fellow Spartans (including David Wenham of The Lord of the Rings, Michael Fassbender, and Andrew Pleavin) into a battle against the overwhelming force of Persian invaders. Their only hope is to neutralize the numerical advantage by confronting the Persians, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), at the narrow strait of Thermopylae. More engaging than Troy, the tepid and somewhat similar epic of ancient Greece, 300 is also comparable to Sin City in that the actors were shot on green screen, then added to digitally created backgrounds. The effort pays off in a strikingly stylized look and huge, sweeping battle scenes. However, it's not as to-the-letter faithful to Miller's source material as Sin City was. The plot is the same, and many of the book's images are represented just about perfectly. But some extra material has been added, including new villains (who would be considered "bosses" if this were a video game, and it often feels like one) and a political subplot involving new characters and a significantly expanded role for the Queen of Sparta (Lena Headey). While this subplot by director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) and his fellow co-writers does break up the violence, most fans would probably dismiss it as filler if it didn't involve the sexy Headey. Other viewers, of course, will be turned off by the waves of spurting blood, flying body parts, and surging testosterone. (The six-pack abs are also relentless, and the movie has more and less nudity--more female, less male--than the graphic novel.) Still, as a representation of Miller's work and as an ancient-themed action flick with a modern edge, 300 delivers. --David Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1098 more reviews...
 Do NOT buy the Blu-Ray. Settle for a widescreen DVD. January 5, 2009
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've seen this movie a thousand times on DVD. It is a geniusly orchestrated and well directed movie, full of action, romance and aesthetic beauty.
But I will tell you I bought the Blu-Ray expecting it to be an even more breathtaking experience but was HORRIFIED from the result. The contrast was so high I could see the pixels blinking (more like dancing) in the cloudy backgrounds and on the actors skin. It was SO distracting, I could not concentrate on the movie's content. I tried messing around with color and contrast settings but to no avail. Watching the same movie from my roommate's DVD seemed to have the same, if not better quality.
At first, I was immediately terrified that my TV was not compatible to my Blu-Ray player (just bought the Blu-Ray player and 300 happened to be the first BD I popped in). Then I speculated that I had bought a crap HDMI cable (it was only 5 bucks. though I had done the research to confirm which HDMI cables are good and this one was) and would have to wait another 2 weeks to buy one that was 12 times more expensive just to see if it that was the case. Just when I had almost convinced myself that my TV's processor was too slow, logic crept in. I popped in my Batman Begins Blu-Ray. Crystal clear and absolutely breathtakingly crisp picture. No contrast horrors to be seen. I found myself watching 30 minutes of the movie (that I've seen a million times) because I was amazed by the picture quality. Then came the deal sinker, popped in my WALL-E Blu-Ray. The picture quality was sooooo amazing that I watched the movie three times in a row (that, and the movie itself was insanely cute and entertaining).
So alas, 300's horrible demise as a Blu-Ray was NOT an incompatible/slow TV, NOT a busted Blu-Ray player, NOT a crap HDMI cable.
It was the Blu-Ray itself. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say it may have just been a bad burn but I would return this Blu-Ray in a heartbeat and just buy a widescreen DVD for my collection. A movie as good as 300 deserves better than that.
 educational standpoint December 24, 2008
As a high-school teacher for English foundations, I utilize movies as a visual aide supplement to help them connect with the characters, setting, dialogue... I only show clips of 300 when I'm teaching Conflict (man vs. man, man vs. environment, man vs. supernatural, man vs. self). I strongly recommend using this dvd to support your curriculum to teach on all levels of student learning (auditory, kinesthetic, visual).
Great "300" Package December 22, 2008
I'm a huge fan of "300" and I just had to have the "collectors edition" to include in my memorabilia.
 300 December 22, 2008
1 out of 9 found this review helpful
After I bought 300 on blu-ray I noticed that it doesnt really make sense to buy the blu-ray version because the entire movie is digital anyways, so it didnt really make a difference.
SHOW THIS TO YOUR SONS IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE SONS December 12, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This remarkable and inspirational film is a literal tranlatrion from a visual novel or comic book format novel based on the famous stand of Leonidas King of Sparta and his small army of volunteers at the pass of Thermopyle. Because the director chose to make his movie resemble the picture/novel, it is not a life-like film, though close to that, but somehow, far more intense. As in the original artwork, non-important details of background, character and plot and even of situation, are eliminated, and this elimination of detail allows us to focus all our attention on the power of the story. And, it becmes all the more powerful because the story is true; Leonidas did lead his men against the overwhelming masses of the Persian invaders, and although the Spartans did not stop the ivasion, they delayed it for a time, thereby teaching the invaders that conquest of the Greek city-states would cost them far more than they imagined.
As one would expect in a comic book or visual format devoted to the struggles of heroes, the Greek warriors are shown as a band of supremely beautiful, athletic and muscular athletes. Physical magnificence overwhelms almost everything. That kind of magnificence fiits the Greek tradition which says that proud nakedness is a sign of courage; even of sanctity. That's why the statues of Greek heroes are shown naked, or in the originals, wearing helmets but holding nothing but their lances. Bravery requires no covering. Logic suggests that the actors in this film, to be true to history and tradition, would be both naked and magnificent. But, present reality being what it is, a film of frank nakedness certainly wouldn't be distributed in this country, and besides, it is virtually inconceivable that an entire cast of perfectly matched fine specimens of masculinity could be found; therefore, we bow to the costumer's decision to clothe the performers in something like leather Speedos, and the animator's decision to use digital techniques to multiply on screen many "copies" of one or wo archetypes, and to animate them endlessly. But all this is done with such facility that in only a few seconds of watching the film one is unconscious of the effort to achieve the effects, and engrossed in a forever-engrossing story. It is the equivalent of doing on tape what Greek sculptors did during the Helenistic age when they carved the famous Altar at Pergamum. The figures are exagerated and many are naked, details are eliminated, and the emotional and physical exertion of the warriors in their battle dominates one's perception; the marble seems to sweat, to bleed, and we can almost hear screams issuing from some of the faces of the wounded and dying.
There's another version of this story available and for rent; THE THREE HUNDRED SPARTANS. You can find it at Critics Choice or any number of othe sources. Although it was made three or four decades ago, it was a well made Hollywood technicolor film and is an excellent and realistic re-enactment of the incident at Thermopalye. Matter of fact, it migt be of some use to compare the two versions. If you do you'll see that in this newer but more abstract version, Persia and the Persian King is not shown as a real or historic indiidual, but rather as a symbolic figure on a rich and fantastic catafalque who represents not the king, but tyrany and slavery and abject surrender, for to the Spartans the warriors of the King are seen as slaves. And the Spartans distinguish themselves as free men who will never surrender themselves or allow themselves to be enslaved. Of course its done with a kind of confrontation of physiques as one might see it in a wrestling ring, when a big baddie associated in name and style with death and perversity, confronts a clean or at least cleaner cut athlete who fights honorably and represents all the cheering audience thinks of as good and worthy, wihin themselves.
To get an idea of the story is easy enough: many commentators have described it in detail, so there's no need for me to go into it here. There are not many characters, for the plot is lean. Thre's a heroine, a villanous traitor on the front and another in the Spartan council chamber. But, nothing described by anybody here can adequately convey the power of the story; its effect is electric and rousing beyond almost anything you can imagine. Irrational though it may be, it is as though some part of Leonidas' courage manages to get itself itno your bloodstream and there to mingle with your hormones and genes in such a way as to nullify all the petty slights, insults and compromises we undergo every day, and to allow us to touch the fuel source of the flame of manhood that burns within us all. It is a celebration: At a time of so many ignoble compromises, a triumph. Call it a seance, if you like. Or a testosterone high. Or think of it as the pep talk of a great coach in the smelly locker room of conflict. Call on your memories of General Patton and imagine why his army held him in such high esteem. Or, if you like, consider it a specific against the endlessly onanistic Politically Correct bilious whining of those who don't either respect themselves or like men, and who hate raising boys.
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