FILM: 300 Sequel in the Works

Frank Miller has already begun work on the screenplay to a sequel to the box-office success 300.

300 has made almost $100 million at the box-office in just under 10 days, setting a March record. Warner Bros. That kind of cash is hard to ignore, so hard in fact that Warner Bros. have already hired comic writer Frank Miller to write a sequel to the Spartan flick. Apparently, if the second film is made, it won't be a direct sequel rather another tale from mythical Greece.

I really don't like this idea. While I loved 300 (read my review HERE), and crave for more of the same, I don't think that the current Frank Miller would be able to pull it off. Miller's writing abilities have been dropping off since the mid-90s and I don't think he has the creativity to create a new plot from scratch. Sure, 300 didn't have the most complex dialogue or story structure, and duplicating its style for a sequel wouldn't be as tough as it would with a different genre of film, but I don't think Miller has it in him. Maybe I'm wrong though, I just really haven't liked Frank Miller's comic work as of late.



There has been no word whether or not Zack Snyder will return as director.

What do you guys think of this? Should a sequel to 300 be made? Post a comment and let me know.

Cheers.

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FILM: 300 Review

300 is a film you could watch on mute and still enjoy. In fact, you'd probably appreciate it a bit more if you did.

300 is a balls-to-the-wall action movie. There is no commanding dialogue, no developing characters, and nothing to stir thought in the audience. It's a bland story that isn't acted or directed very well and at times it takes itself too seriously. It's a movie that is cliche, simple even to the most retarded of children, and is completely awesome.

As a big fan of Frank Miller's graphic novel, 300, I wasn't sure what to expect with this film. I was hoping that, like Sin City, the book would be converted directly to the screen without any unnecessary changes to the script. Although, with Sin City there was enough material to fit into a two hour film, 300 didn't have as deep of a story. To fill this void and thicken the storyline director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) and newbie writers Kurt Johnstad and Michael Gordon were forced to add in a few sub-plots to draw out the adventure. I knew this wasn't a good decision and I had a strong feeling that they would stir the pot away from the original subject matter just a bit too much.



Well, they did. There is a ton of substance in the flick that isn't found in the original graphic novel, including large story-arc featuring Queen Gorgo. These scenes that stray from Frank Miller's book fit fairly well with the film but I think they could have been stronger. They borderline on the cliche side of things and I felt as if not much thought was put into them. Then again, dialogue and plot are the Achilles' heel of 300.

The performances given by most of the cast is fairly bland as well. Everything is over-acted and seems forced down the audience's throat. Gerard Butler (The Phantom of the Opera, Beowulf & Grendel) gives a decent but exaggerated performance that works as he's an extreme figure of power but lets a small tease of his sensitive side shine through. On the other hand, David Wenahm, Vincent Regan, and Dominic West all do a terrible job and are occasionally laughable. Lena Headey gives a fairly good performance as the commanding Queen Gorgo but she too shows all of her character on the surface, refusing to take the Queen any deeper.



As I've said earlier though, 300 isn't about the acting, dialogue, or plot. It's a beautiful action movie that's piece of art a pleasure on the eyes to look at. Whether it's the Laconian plain surrounding Sparta or a severed head falling to the ground in slow motion, everything in the film is stylized and astounding. Some of the CGI is easily noticeable and distracting, as ten differently visual effects companies worked on the film, but most of it is right on the money. Easily my favourite effect is the blood in the film. Instead of the usual approach to the red liquid 300 handles blood as a 2D element. For example, a limb will be removed and blood will erupt from the wound as flat as paper. The effect is a lot different than what's been done in the past, and will no doubt annoy many, but I felt that it helped the film feel like a comic book and keep the violence in hand.

One fairly minor complaint I have about the effects in 300 though is the use of slow-motion. It seemed as if every third shot in the film had some sort of time manipulation and most of the segments slowed down weren't significant enough to warrant slow-motion. Then again, this isn't a very major complaint, I just think the effect was a bit overdone.



300 isn't a historically-correct epic, nor is it a smart film that provokes thought in the audience. It's a simple and straight-forward action flick that is dumbed down to accommodate the slowest of viewers but remains a fun ride. It's violent, it's gritty, and it's to-the-point. If you know this going in then you'll most likely have a great time, just don't expect too much out of this title, otherwise you're bound to be disappointed.

One Sentence Review: Beautiful and stylized film that is all violence, all the time.

Cheers.

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FILM: Spring Movies Not to Be Missed

There are quite a few films worth checking out in the upcomming months. I take a peek at what's just around the corner and tell what I'm looking forward to.

February:

Reno 911!: Miami. Hits theatres on February 23rd. Directed by Ben Garant (Reno 911! TV series). Starring Thomas Lennon, Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney, and Cedric Yarbrough. Reno 911!: Miami features all the characters you love from the hilarious TV show and throws them into the biggest mess of their police careers. While Reno 911! isn't everyone's cup of tea, I just love the characters and I'd gladly sit in a theatre for an hour and a half and watch them make even bigger asses out of themselves. Danny DeVito, Paul Rudd, Paul Reubens, and Michael Ian Black (Stella!) also play smaller roles in the film. Watch the Reno 911!: Miami trailer HERE.

March:

Zodiac. Hits theatres on March 2nd. Directed by David Fincher (Se7en). Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Cloe Sevigny. Zodiac tells the story of the investigators and reports who were terrorized by the Zodiac serial killer in 1970 San Francisco. David Fincher is a perfectionist and great at displaying tension and atmosphere so I'm sure that the film will be a great ride. The only worry I have about this flick thus far is the poor CGI establishing shots in the trailer, but they could be cleaned up before the film's release next month. Check out the Zodiac trailer HERE.

Black Snake Moan. Hits theatres on March 2nd. Directed by Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow). Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake. Black Snake Moan is the story of an elderly blues musician who holds a victim of childhood sexual abuse against her will in an attempt to free her from her troubles. Read my preview of the film HERE and watch the trailer HERE.

The Host. Hits theatres on March 9th. Directed by Joon-ho Bong (Memories of Murder). Starring Song Kang-Ho, Byun Hee-Bong, Park Hae-IL, Bae Doo-Na, and Ko A-Sung. The Host, or Gwoemul as it's known in Korean, is the story of a fairly poor elderly man, Park Hee-Bong, who runs a snack bar on the banks of Seoul's Han River. One day a mutant creature emerges from the river and kidnaps Park's granddaughter. The film, which released in South Korea during the summer, has gotten international praise and will hopefully awe North American audiences. Check out The Host trailer HERE.



300. Hits theatres on March 9th. Directed by Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead). Starring Gerard Butler, David Wenham, and Lena Headey. 300 is the adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name. 300 Spartans must face over 1 million soldiers of the Persian Empire in an attempt to be free from slavery. The film has gotten both praise and disgust after early test screenings and will most likely do well at the box office. It is unclear though whether or not it will be as critically superb as Frank Miller's recent adaptation, Sin City. Check out the trailer to 300 HERE.

Reign Over Me. Hits theatres on March 23rd. Directed by Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger). Starring Don Cheadle, Adam Sandler, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Liv Tyler. Reign Over Me is the story of a pair of old college roommates who restart their friendship by running into each other after living very different lives apart. While some may think this is a comedy because it stars the likes of Adam Sandler it seems like a fairly heavy-handed drama, although I'm sure there are comedic qualities throughout. I'm also a fairly large Don Cheadle fan and feel that he's chosen his roles wisely over the past few years, hopefully Reign Over Me turns out to be another good choice. Check out the trailer for Reign Over Me HERE.



Rescue Dawn. Hits theatres on March 30th. Directed by Werner Herzog (Little Dieter Needs to Fly). Starring Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, and Jeremy Davies. Rescue Dawn is the story of a downed fighter pilot who must find a way to survive in a Vietnamese POW camp. I watch anything Christian Bale does and I also have a lot of respect for Herzog so I'll definitely be checking this one out. Read my preview of Rescue Dawn HERE and check out the trailer HERE.

April:

Grindhouse. Hits theatres on April 6th. Directed by Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin City). Starring Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan, and Michael Biehn. Grindhouse is two extreme action flicks for the price of one. Both directors shot a segment, Tarantino doing Death Proof and Rodriguez shooting Planet Terror, and they will play back-to-back with fake trailers playing during the intermission. Grindhouse is a throwback to the old cinemas that would show two over-the-top films in one sitting for the price of one admission. Now, this could turn out to be a great idea or it could be a complete bomb, either way I have to check it out. Watch the trailer for Grindhouse HERE.

Hot Fuzz. Hits theatres on April 20th. Directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead). Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Bill Nighy, and Timothy Dalton. There are a lot of reasons to be interested in Hot Fuzz. For starters, it's done by the same creative team behind the top notch film Shaun of the Dead and shares a fairly similar cast. some may even say it's a sequel to the zombie film, while it's a completely different universe. The film has been out in the UK for a little while now and has been getting rave reviews with many critics saying it's better than Shaun, which is very high praise. Hot Fuzz has been on the top of my to-see list since I first heard about it at San Diego Comic-Con over the summer. Check out the trailer for Hot Fuzz HERE.

The Invisible. Hits theatres on April 27th. Directed by David S. Goyer (Blade: Trinity). Starring Justin Chatwin, Michelle Harrison, and Marcia Gay Harden. The Invisible is the story of two teens who are invisible to the rest of the world. It's a concept that's been done before, and done to death, but for some reason I'm interested in the project. It's probably the psychological thriller fanatic inside of me that hasn't been fed for a few months. Hopefully this film feeds that hunger. Check out the trailer for The Invisible HERE.



May:

Spider-Man 3. Hits theatres on May 4th. Directed by Sam Raimi (Army of Darkness). Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Hayden Church, Topher Grace, and Rosemary Harris. Spider-Man 3 kicks off where the second film left off. Peter is with Mary-Jane (who knows he is Spidey), Harry Osborn is still bent on revenge, and the world is beginning to respect the web-head. Raimi's third film is supposedly darker and more intense than the previous two, but may also be more convoluted as three enemies are thrown into the mix. I have doubts that Spider-Man 3 will be as good a film as the previous two but I'm still pumped to go see it. Check out the trailer for Spider-Man 3 HERE.

Well, those are the films I'm looking forward to in the next few months. Is there anything I missed. Let me know what flicks you're looking forward to seeing.

Cheers.

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