Madness? This is '300!'

As of writing, "300" has made almost $130 million and within the span of its opening weekend made more than $70 million -- that means it made its money back in the span of three days. All these big numbers means three things: That comic book genius Frank Miller's work will continue to be turned into big-screen eye candy due to the success of "Sin City" and "300;" that director Zack Snyder, who made an incredible debut with his "Dawn of the Dead" remake, could possibly be the next big man on the studio lot; and plenty of people are ready to see R-rated movies making their way back to the cineplex. \n"300" is the story of a fraction of Spartan soldiers who would battle the million men of the Persian army led by Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro, "Lost"). The Spartans are led by Leonidas (Gerard Butler, "The Phantom of the Opera"), one of the toughest SOBs in all of Greece, who dares not succumb to the threats of Xerxes and would rather die a glorious death with all of his men. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas and his men would get that wish, but not before taking down countless enemies.\nOf course the numbers are greatly exaggerated, as historical evidence shows about 7,000 Greeks fought the millions of Persians, but who really cares? Those numbers are just as impressive. Both Miller's book and Snyder's film are absolutely brutal as limbs fly, heads are chopped off and the battlefield is painted with numerous coatings of blood. Where "Sin City" imitates the panels of the books, "300," utilizing green/blue screens, makes every panel become a moving painting, a great example being when the great tempest smashes hundreds of Persian ships on the rocky shore as the Spartans cheer while Leonidas remains dead silent. It becomes a true work of art, unlike the prequel trilogy to "Star Wars," which appears far too digitized and just plain ugly. \nGerard Butler is spot-on; thankfully he never bursts into song as "The Phantom of the Opera" first made me think he was dreadful. Somehow David Wenham, who plays Delios and serves as our faithful narrator, has become a cinematic chameleon, looking like a puny wimp in "The Propostion" yet becoming a muscular beast for this flick. Santoro's Xerxes is kind of a joke though, oddly looking like a Persian RuPaul with a vocal processor to make him sound more intimidating. Oh well, he's supposed to be a "God-King" right?\nPlain and simple, "300" is destined to make more millions and go down in history as being one of the most successful comic book adaptations, as well as showing that CG will have a major impact on the future of cinema, especially when done this well.