Back in 2006, 300 debuted on screens and took audiences on a visual and auditory adventure that was frankly mind-blowing. Director Zack Snyder had pushed the envelope of the action genre in ways that would exponentially permeate throughout the movie business. With the advent of 4K technology in the home video realm, there has hardly been a movie more “born” to be upgraded to the splendor of Snyder’s 300.
Snyder took the Frank Miller (Sin City, Sin City 2) graphic novel and brought it to the screen in a way that felt like we were submerged in a Miller creation and everything that means.
The legendary tale of the 300 Spartan soldiers, who stood their ground against the power-hungry Xerxes and his massive and battle-ready legions Persian army, has been passed down from generation to generation for 2,000 years. Led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his coalition of Greek city-states, those 300 men have served as a military and humanist inspiration for countless souls in a sweeping lesson of inspirational fortitude mirroring David when he took his slingshot to a certain giant.
From that iconic chant of “Sparta!,” as Leonidas rallied his troops against insuperable odds, the Greek soldiers were ready to fight to the death. They were battling collectively at a time when those Greek city-states weren’t exactly a model for unity. But thanks to that timeless old common enemy concept—here, Persia—those 300 souls sought honor while battling for their freedom.
Audiences responded in droves, not only to the subject matter but to the experience of witnessing such an optical marvel, to the tune of $456.1 million in global box office revenue. Now that the fine folks at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have upgraded Snyder’s opus to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, look for a fresh wave of 300 fever to sweep the world. With so many homes having advanced entertainment technology, there has never been a more fruitful landscape for a tech-heavy storytelling tale that has so resonated with audiences over the years.
Screenwriters Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Michael B. Gordon adapted Miller’s (and co-writer Lynn Varley) “limited series.” Their effort mirrors a certain SNL character’s catchphrase—you know the one, “It’s better to look good than to feel good.” 300 isn’t the greatest and plot-rich actioner of the last few decades, but its missteps narratively can be overlooked because of its feast for the eyes and ear candy for those two appendages on the side of your head. It is an achievement of the highest order and is just downright fun to watch and is firmly one of those films that can and should be revisited frequently. Now that it has received that stunning WB 4K upgrade, there is no reason for missing out on adding this title to your home video collection.
It is easy to simply focus on the treats for the eyes and ears. But there is a stellar ensemble at work, doing their best with an honestly so-so screenplay. Butler commanded in this role and it is absolutely the work that made him a household name. He was joined in the awesome acting department by Lena Headey (Game of Thrones, The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Rodrigo Santoro (Westworld), and David Wenham (Faramir in The Lord of the Rings).
When 300 arrived on Blu-Ray 13 years ago, it was an impressive transfer. No studio is more beautifully bringing its catalog into the 4K realm than Warner Bros. A perfect example of that arrived merely days ago in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.
The upgrade team at WBHE has taken an already pristine cornucopia of revolutionary visual imagery and somehow managed to raise it to unforeseen levels. The audio transfer is utterly electric as well. So often we focus wholeheartedly on the visual of a 4K upgrade and the audio is an afterthought. Again, given the home video tech that many possess, we are getting more with less in the sound department. Smaller speakers, bigger sound, and thanks to that gifted transfer team at the Burbank-based studio, there are layers of effects and sound design that one may have not noticed as keenly before. The fresh Dolby Atmos mix is pure sonic succulence.
When it comes to bonus features, there are over three hours of them on the 300 4K—all previously released. The most compelling has to be the commentary track by Snyder co-writer Johnstad, as well as director of photography (cinematographer) Larry Fong. Those are exactly the folks you want giving you a play-by-play of how this beloved film came into existence.
The remaining featurettes are the same that were on the 2007 Blu-Ray.
They are:
The 300: Fact or Fiction
Who Were the Partans? The Warriors of 300
Preparing for Battle: The Original Test Footage
The Frank Miller Tapes
Making of 300
Making 300 in Images
Webisode: Production Design
Webisode: Wardrobe
Webisode: Stunt Work
Webisode: Lena Headey
Webisode: Adapting the Graphic Novel
Webisode: Gerard Butler
Webisode: Rodrigo Santoro
Webisode: Training the Actors
Webisode: Culture of the Sparta City/State
Webisode: A Glimpse from the Set: Making 300
Webisode: Scene Studies from 300
Webisode: Fantastic Characters of 300
Deleted Scenes with introduction by Zack Snyder
Film Grade: B
Bonus Features: A