A wounded Leonidas (Gerard Butler) roars his defiance at the Persian invaders in '300'. - Contributed

Vernon Boothe, Contributor

"An awesome bloody spectacle" is how I would describe 300, if ever asked to do so.

If you are into action movies, this film grabs you from the beginning and, even at its end, refuses to let go. No Oscars will be won for the acting and the dialogue is far from riveting; this does not, however, mean that the film is not good. In fact, some of the dialogue is quite witty, not something you normally associate with a bloodbath of this magnitude.

The film 300 is an adrenaline rush, propelled along by massive amounts of testosterone gone berserk.

Excellent cinematography

Do not go see this film expecting a historical epic along the lines of Alexander or depicting the power of Gladiator. If you do, you will be disappointed. The film is an adaptation of producer Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name and it delivers just that, a graphic blood-and-gore death dance of man and mammals made even better by some excellent cinematography and stunning visual effects.

My only disappointment with this film was the continuous attempt to spread the gospel of democracy and preach about the price of freedom, which we all know by now is not free. That aside, 300 is an enjoyable film that will no doubt have the same effect on Gerard Butler's (King Leonidas) career as Gladiator did on Russell Crowe's.

So, if you are interested in finding out who is the real king, the 'god king' Xerxes or the 'warrior king' Leonidas, go see 300 and decide for yourself.