Anything Goes : 300: Rise of an Empire Review by Keith Mosher

Tribe, city, state, nation. Sadly through most of history and to this very day nation building has been forged from fire, steel, and blood. History is rife with tales which the descendants of the victors always glorify, while the tales of the vanquished vanish, or smolder only to spark some future conquest. This film is the story around the 300 at Thermopylae, a time a little before, during, and shortly after, and the forging of the Greek city-states into a nation. Is it historically accurate? I doubt it. Is it historically inaccurate? Not terribly so if the tales handed down from the victors of that time contain grains of truth. Is it glorified and larger than life? Without question. It is a modern day movie, and moviefied to the nth degree. If you enjoy action, spectacle, and blood, this is a four-course meal. You may guess that the fourth course is sex, and you would be right. This is an R rated film and definitely not for the kids, or the tweens, or even the young teens. The art direction and film direction is in the form of “The 300.” It is all very well done. The acting fills the bill. While most of it is physical work, there are lines that need to be delivered and they are delivered with conviction. The score and sound editing is also well done, with the exception of the odd decision to include a remix of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” for the closing credits. Perhaps the director had an itch he felt the need to scratch. The 3D and Special effects are all finely crafted. Well worth the ticket and the glasses.