At the start of the film, we are provided with a voiceover narration telling us of Leonidas' rise to power, from his trials as a child through to his grand leadership. It is revealed that the story is being told around a campfire to a group of Spartan warriors. This provides the framework for the fantastic tale of bravery that was to follow. The narration returns at many points throughout, never letting us forget that we are being told a story, as opposed to watching the events unfold in real time. This story is exaggerated, it is turned into a grand campaign, and is used as a tool to get the men pumped up for battle. It is this that allows for much of the fantastic elements that appear throughout the film. It is not a point-for-point retelling of the events, it is the start of the legend of King Leonidas.

This is a movie that is filled with macho posturing, sword swinging action, and is not afraid of letting a little blood fly. Everything takes place in a wonderfully realized alternate world, where every element is highly stylized. Snyder and his director of photography, Larry Fong, have created a fully realized world that is as convincing as it is unreal.

Add to that the larger than life performances of the leads, in particular Gerard Butler. Butler takes the role of Leonidas in his teeth and never lets go. He brings depth to the overblown character. There is a lot going on behind the eyes of the warrior king, and Butler doesn't let you forget it. There is also a strong performance from Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo; she has a powerful turn, giving us a strong female character with a very satisfying arc. There is even a hunchback character, whose name I cannot recall, who had a very interesting tale and role to play. Not to be forgotten is Tyler Yates, whose score was wonderful and as experimental as the film.

Bottom line. This is a great film from an interesting new voice. In the span of just two films (the surprisingly good Dawn of the Dead remake being the other), Zack Snyder has established himself as a director to watch. This film has so much style and a strong focus that it is impossible to ignore the talent behind it. This is filmmaking firing on all cylinders, and a fine example of convergence of written material and visual forwardness. Cannot wait to see this again.

Highly Recommended.