Billed as a ferocious cross between Gladiator and Sin City, “300” is much more proud and pretty than it is visceral. This is not a slam. Every shot of these sculpted actors exudes pride. The gorgeous watercolor skies and windblown wheat fields more than whisper dignity and self-respect. The theme of honor and pride is impossible to miss. The dance of battle is more hard-hitting choreography than gruesome plundering. Still, for those who like to see a sliced head roll slowly from the body -- 300 has that too.

And so I found it rather elegant, artistically brush-stroked across the screen -- aggressive music aptly backing the charging visuals. But, save for the suspense of impending battle, the film demonstrates little drama. While the dialogue meanders from pedestrian, to edgy, to cliché, I can remember only one scene that commanded attention. This was between the queen and politician. Kudos though to Gerard Butler and Lena Headey as the king and queen. Without their raw charisma and inner strength on screen, this film would topple like a stack of dead bodies. Speaking of which, while most of the visuals are up to task, the one of the body-adorned tree pales as much as the scene with the fallen child.

Lastly, just as some would see V for Vendetta as an anti-Iraq war statement, others may see 300 as one in support of that war.

The greatest impression the film makes is as a primeval, elegant, music video. The written plot and dialogue are unstable, wavering from occasionally powerful to just as often weak and cliché. But the leads perform admirably and the pictures are very pretty.

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