F these guys- it's an exact translation of the comic. If you liked that you'll love this. If you want an "adaptation" for sanitized movie goes, go see Ghost Rider. Just bring some No-Doz...

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How can the audience in Berlin be right and ALL the raving reviews be wrong? Something doesn't seem right.

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Seriously, they're Germans. (I'm assuming most of the audiences were Germans, being held in Germany and all.) The last time we took a German's word on anything, they tried to conquer the globe. AGAIN. Plus, "300" is yet another movie that mainstream film critics will never "get". I'm sure they have plenty of movies criticizing the American war on Iraq to heap praise upon, and probably couldn't be bothered with a crowd pleaser like "300".

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Look, I think there is no reason to believe that the movie is anything ess than AWESOME. You have to 'consider the source'. The Premiere hasn't even shown with a general audience. This guy Erik Davis must have seen it with a press screening. There were several European and Middle Eastern dudes in the press conference and their BIASES were transparent. There are those who would view this as a 21st Century message about war and the US, etc. when it's not that at all and not intended to be. There are others who are biased because when it comes to this battle they wanted a straight up historical documentary instead of a kickass no holds barred legend told from a graphic novel.

Again, consider the source. There are likely to be a lot of reviewers out there who think themselves all self-important and all knowing when it comes to this. I think they are fools.

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I think people are taking this film the wrong way.

It's based on a comic, which was based on a pretty good novelization of the battle of Thermopylae. Accuracy isn't all that bad, but it will get historians knickers in a twist - that's for sure.

The characters will be "comic like" because it was based on a COMIC. If you don't understand the genre - then you're not going to get the film.

Personally I'm expecting a really good visual experience based on one of the pivotal events in the history of western civilization. The bad guys will be really ugly and the good guys will be uber-heroic. What this means is that I'm expecting a good testosterone fuelled time and not something I'm going to ponder over for several weeks in an attempt to digest it all.

The problem with film festivals is that they want all movies to be "artistic".

It's like wine tasting - It might be really nice to have a distinguished pallette - but it's also nice to just get totally wasted sometimes.

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Based on the first sentence of your little Review I would say that many in the audience had a pre-desposition to leave so that they could make some sort of statement.

It shows that they were unwilling to even give the movie a chance. They've made assumptions or tried to turn this movie into something that it never said it was.

This movie was not made to make some political statment. Its too bad Mr. Davis that you are incapable of standing behind your original thoughts about 300 and are now caving into little-minded people who are clue-less about this movie.

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Nina, I would have stood behind my initial feelings if the film lived up to them. Sadly, it did not. And, yes, people going in probably did want to hate it, but I really really wanted to love it, had been looking forward to it for a long time and was simply let down big time.

I'm not trying to be a bad guy here, these were my true reactions to the film. Did I boo it? No. I don't boo anything, it's in poor taste.

Oh, and those "rave reviews" are coming after one screening for a bunch of fanboys at Harry Knowles' little 24 hour festival. I wouldn't exactly count them as the majority.

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Sorry,but the first 3 Journalist were not Germans,and i only can say a lot of Germans and a lot of Gerard Butler Fans love this movie.And it has nothing to do with Germany if 300 would be not successful.
You will love this film or you will hate it.

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"It started shortly after the opening credits; small groups of folks began heading for the door."

This tells me these people were morons..If they were walking out shortly after the opening credits. Too many reviews, especially from fantasy/scifi/graphic novel fans and others are showing up raving about this movie.

Makes me seriously question and doubt the validity of this review.

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Everyone's got it right so far... It was the completely wrong audience and you're just adding fuel to the fire by reporting it. A Berlin Film Fest with intellectual indie films isn't the right place to debut 300. WonderCon is. It won't hit with a thud here in the US, it'll be embraced.

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How can anybody claim that ALL Germans hated the movie? Most viewers were international press! If some of them didn't like "300" it is not fair to say "the Germans" didn't like it. I'm sure many Germans und other Europeans are going to love it and a few might not. It's like with people in America, they don't all like the same movies! AND the first 3 reporters in the press conference were NOT GERMANS, they only spoke German and not very well either!

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Erik, you are wrong about the rave reviews coming from just one screening. The rave reviews are coming in from New York, Atlanta, LA. The rave reviews have been coming in from several screenings.

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I bet this won't play well in Persia, err, Iran. Ouch! He went there!

On the other hand, I bet this digital flick will be very big in Greece, even with its British cast representin' their forebearers*...

Now, my bigger question is, how will this play in the White House and the Pentagon in these next few months...hmmm.


*And since British actors are playing the protagonists, shouldn't Mel Gibson be portraying Xerxes?

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Erik,

While you are entitled to your opinion and review of the movie, I feel that you misrepresented the facts by not identifying the viewing audience as a PRESS audience. It was not a GENERAL audience of moviegoers. For those who don't know that this was a PRESS SCREENING, you leave the impression that it was general moviegoers who behaved badly by walking out and booing the film.

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Since, I suppose, the main villain is the Persian Emperor (thus, Iranian) fighting to enslave the West and destroy its civilization, my guess is that the Germans saw it as a pro-American and anti-Iran manifesto. Germans have never really liked Americans (Revolutionary War, WWI, WWII and even during the Cold War, they'd rather protest against Reagan than Breshnev).

Also, since 300 is based on a true story the political parables are way more explicit than Lord of the Rings.

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More power to you, Erik. That was one of the worst movies I have seen in months, and I was happy to walk out after a mere 45 minutes. I'll take the Frank Miller graphic novel over that dreck any day.

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jmchez,
what your saying about Germans not liking Americans is simply NOT TRUE! You should really be careful about judging people you don't know. Have you ever been to Germany or anywhere outside the U.S.A.? And believe me Germans are smart enough to know that this movie is an adaptation from a comic book und not to be compared with present politics or politicians. Give the world outside the U.S.A. some credit please!

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It is too bad for 300. I was looking forward to enjoying it.
I had a suspicious feeling when i saw the previews looking like a MTV video. Oh what the heck, I'm still going to see it anyway, as a double feature. in other words: pay for a good movie and then sneak into another (get my $11 worth)

Sin City tried and it was successful; 300 tried again and failed. I guess green screen is not meant for all movies. Which i want George Lucas to remember, since he wants to do Indiana Jones 4 on green screen.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow started with this crap and i hope directors learn to only use it sparingly, for god's sake!!

Anyway: 300 RIP

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I think its OBVIOUS that these people who walked out early and booed this film has a political agenda, and no doubt thought this movie was a pro American imperialst propaganda to justify a war with Iran. it was this that caused what was OBVIOUSLY a predetermined, staged, phoney negative reaction in hopes of hurting future sales.
I have heard too many good reviews from the right kinds of audiences to take THIS one seriously

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I am surprised!!!
Maybe I (and other journalists) were at a different press screening.
But there was certainly no booing after the movie.
I just read the same opinion in the professional press (Blickpunkt:Film) in Germany. They are very surprised, that some online journalists write about a negative feedback after the screening, because they felt the movie received a positive feedback at the press screening.

Quote from Blickpunkt:Film (in German):
"Auch in der Pressevorführung nachmittags war der Film mit großem Interesse und durchaus freundlich aufgenommen worden. Das hinderte einige Journalisten nicht, online das glatte Gegenteil zu behaupten."

And: The public screening was a tremendous success. The screening was even interrupted by spontaneous applause from the audience.

I think it is OK for you not to like the movie - but why make up this story?

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