ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

SCOTS ACTOR Gerard Butler seems to have been poised on the brink of great things for several years now.

The title role in ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’ should have made him a star, but his bland performance was one of that film’s many disappointments.

He finally achieves his potential with a muscular performance as Spartan King Leonidas in ‘300’, a ferocious adaptation of the cult graphic novel by Frank Miller.

‘300’ has been described as ‘Gladiator’-meets-‘Sin City’, and that just about sums up this highly stylised saga of slaughter and self-sacrifice. It has the bronzed, inky look of a comicbook, and enough violence to satisfy bloodthirsty adolescents of all ages.

Early scenes convince us that the mighty Spartans were amongst the most fearless warriors ever to walk the earth. When Persian Emperor Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) marches on Greece, he threatens to annihilate the Spartans unless they submit to his rule.

Leonidas is unlikely to kneel before any tyrant and so he sets out with an army of three hundred warriors who are prepared to save their country or die in the attempt.

The stage is then set for a David and Goliath struggle of epic proportions. Stronger on spectacle than substance, ‘300’ is also sketchy on the politics and intrigue of the conflict, but really delivers in terms of flashing blades, decapitations, battle sequences and bloodshed.

A gruff, bearded Butler proves a charismatic leader of men, and Lena Headey lends some humanity to all the macho posturing as his loyal queen. This is the best epic of its kind since ‘Gladiator’, and should ensure Butler’s long-awaited entry to the Hollywood A-list.

Nationwide release

Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Gerard Butler, David Wenham, Lena Headey, Rodrigo Santoro
Screenwriters: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael Gordon, Frank Miller
Certificate: 15
Running time: 117 mins
Country: USA
Year: 2007

© Allan Hunter, 2007