In 3 days, it has grossed over $70 million, more than doubling the #2 movie in the top 10 box office sales this weekend.

I have never been to a movie before that left me damn near begging to be let back in to the theater to see it again. The movie coursed through my veins like no other. The adrenaline that you feel while watching it, the humor, the action, the verve and panache in Gerard's voice, the passion and emotion, and of course, the revolutionary cinematography exceeds any other movie to date.

Many people have disagreed with my aforementioned opinion, but let me cite some examples of other revolutionary movies that 300 has superceded.

The battle scenes seen before in cinema, such as in Braveheart, were more vulgar than 300 even though 300 had more blood. To me, Braveheart's battles were too harsh and forced. 300 on the other hand were artistic, and had more of a metaphoric feel (with the addition of the gods and 'monsters' of course representing a sense of imminent defeat the Spartans felt throughout the battle) and there just seemed to be more passion in the battles. Then again, I may be biased: I never liked Braveheart.

Some others may argue the revolutionary milestone The Matrix brought us. One of the greatest movies to grace the silver screen, but still lacking in comparison. Again, the CGItography was brilliant and groundbreaking, but only on the level of "never seen that effect before." The storyline was great, but also lacking. I honestly had to see the movie 2 or 3 times before I really understood. (Then again I was less educated then, but I digress...) The philosophical side of The Matrix I still think was always on par with the philosophical aspects of such movies as Pi (Darren Aronofsky), if not less so. Combine the two aspects (CGItography and philosophy) and you had an amazing film never done before: until 300.

300 in my opinion had the passion and conviction Braveheart should have had, the philosophy The Matrix had, and the CGItography that may outdate any movie to come before it.

To be a movie that raises all bars and exceeds all expectations, you need everything, and you need it with precision. There was humor in 300, but it was intelligent humor for the most part, arrogant humor that added to the undeniable perseverance of the Spartans. The sex scenes were powerful enough to emit the emotion moreso than the erotica. The battle scenes may have been bloody, but they weren't grotesque. They were (as well as they could have been) tastefully done. When explaining it to people who are squeemish and were writing it off as 'just another blood movie', I said it had a graphic novel feel, not a realistic feel. Thus making the uncompromised fervor in the soldiers more prevalent than each Persian they killed.

I honestly believe that movies such as The Matrix, Hero, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, (et cetera) broke open the doors for a movie like this, but you will find that unless movies start stepping up their game and delivering the punch 300 did, movies in this genre will become obsolescent.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older