Online only: 300 (R) Movie: B Extras: B+

Underneath the mountains of unfiltered testosterone and beyond the furiously barking machismo of Zack Snyder's cinematic retelling of Frank Miller's graphic novel "300," there lies a message about corrupt politicians and evil empires and what it meant to be a man in an ancient civilization and how to remain a man in a modern one. This is not where the strengths in "300" reside. This is not a thinking man's epic a la "Gladiator" and "Spartacus." In fact, I'm not even sure it is an epic, but when the blood spurts and limbs fly, everything falls into place.\nThe plot can be summed up in one brief sentence: 300 Spartan warriors take on thousands of Persians, who are trying to acquire their lands, in wave after wave of battle. In most cases, threads this thin are better left to the detailed pages of comic books and graphic novels, where the visual artistry often makes up for a lack of cohesive or engaging plotting. What Snyder and his team have managed to do so well with "300," much as Robert Rodriguez and company did with "Sin City," is to fine-tune the visuals to match Miller's illustrations. As for the much-touted violence, it comes in spades and is mostly concentrated to the middle third of the film. The occasional MPAA-pandering, black-colored CG blood spurt aside, Snyder knows how to take advantage of an R rating. \nMost of the extras on the two-disc edition of "300" are, for better or worse, more expressive and articulate than the film itself. Snyder shows of his directorial acumen (at least in speaking) on a feature-length commentary track, with cinematographer Larry Fong alongside to discuss and dissect the film's impressive visuals. Several deleted scenes come and go with no impact, but it's the featurettes on everything from the Spartan way of life to the historical accuracies and inaccuracies of Snyder's telling of Miller's story that will pique the interests of most viewers. As with the "Sin City" DVD extras, it's always Miller that has the most relevant stuff to say, and he's even more visible and free with information here.\nFrom a purely aesthetic standpoint, "300" works beautifully. When pesky things like expository dialogue, political intrigue and spurned hunchbacks get in the way, you may find yourself begging for the Persians to unleash a whole new level of hell on our heroes.