Zack Snyder has garnered a reputation for directing some of the most-talked-about blockbusters in recent years, but arguably his best work hits Netflix today, September 1.
No, I'm not talking about his most recent work, Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire or Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver. And I'm not referring to the list of movies he directed from the DC Universe, which includes Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice or his famous cut of the Justice League. My favorite Zack Snyder movie, 300, is now on Netflix, and that is a reason to celebrate.
The movie follows the epic battle of Thermopylae, when 300 Spartans fought against a world-dominating Persian King and his massive army. We're talking a thrilling tale that has you rooting for the underdogs where the Spartans had next to no chance of winning. For crying out loud, the Persian forces had supersized elephants and rhinos, animals already prone to be large.
I can recall being of a certain younger age and going to the movie theater to watch 300. I sat there viewing the cinematic masterpiece in awe. It wasn't a movie that was necessarily on my must-watch list then. In fact, it took my friends to convince me to go see it, but oh boy I'm glad they did.
300 has everything you want from a period action flick. It has a relentless "hero" in Gerard Butler's King Leonidas, who is willing to die for his subjects and pride. On the flip side, there's a manipulative Judas-type character who aligns himself with a pompous "villain" in the Persian conqueror Xeres (Rodrigo Santoro). Plus, there are epic battle scenes with phenomenal fight choreography and, as already mentioned, giant animals that clearly exemplify why an excellent visual effects team is important to have onboard for projects of this caliber.
Critics were nearly split on whether or not 300 was a good movie. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 61% of critics rated it positively, although moviegoers tend to enjoy it more, reflected in a rating of 89%. It's also worth mentioning that according to an article from The Los Angeles Times, 300 managed to break box-office expectations upon its release.
Knowing all of this, if you haven't seen what all the fuss is about, now is your chance to utilize your Netflix subscription and watch 300 from the comforts of your own home. Even if you have seen it and are a fan, there's nothing wrong with going back to see why you fell in love with the movie.
