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So there’s this number… And it’s 300… And it makes you crazy in shape if you do that many sit-ups every day. There are enough six-packs in Zack (2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake) Snyder’s flawed masterpiece to supply even the most debauched frat party, leaving few days worth left to spare.

Based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel, 300 is the tale of Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and the battle of Thermopylae (aka- The Hot Gates) in 480 B.C. The titular 300 Spartans (plus some fellow Greeks) face the overwhelming forces of the Persian Empire, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), a Giant with a freaky deep voice and more bling on his face than most rappers have in their wildest dreams.

A quick confession/caveat. I’m a comic book guy. A box of my Dad’s comics helped me learn to read. I’m a fan of Frank Miller and read 300 well before seeing the movie. It’s impossible for me to not compare the two, so I won’t try.

The best and most innovative part of the movie is what we see. Shot on blue-screen sound stages, all the scenery and settings are filled in after filming. And the result is stunning. Frank Miller’s art comes alive on the screen, but it’s the translation of Lynn Varley’s coloring from the Graphic Novel that really holds it all together. The angry skies and brutal landscapes are characters in and of themselves. Then there’s the action. Limbs are severed, spears drive through armor and bodies as if through butter and arrows fly in sun obscuring masses. All in stop-and-start slow-mo sequences that pay homage to the source material in a way no other comic-book originated movie has ever dared to. The violent images are made amazingly beautiful. One might think the slow-mo and/or extreme violence would enter into the realm of cartoony excess, but (isolated audience laughter aside) 300 is a unique melding of the static image with moving pictures.

My problems with the movie seem to coincide with the places it departs from the comic. There’s an added subplot involving Queen Gorgo (Lena Headley) and politician Theron (Dominic West) and a power struggle concerning the Spartan council that just doesn’t work very well. Yes, there’s a fairly satisfying moment or two, but mostly it’s visually dead and narratively dull. There’s also a “meaningful” necklace that’s just silly typical Hollywood tripe. A couple of shots look surprisingly like sequences in Gladiator, but I think that’s a coincidence of composition and subject matter rather than influence or theft. Not that all the added material is bad, but it’s not as good as things that were cut. One scene that is understandably added serves to enhance the threat of the bad guys, but it really is meaningless if one looks at it carefully.

The acting is mostly good, but there’s a little bit of Braveheart in some of the speeches. Maybe it’s the thematic similarities (or how someone Scottish sounds when they yell FREEDOM!), but it’s noticeable and a little distracting. We do care about our band of warriors, but some more character moments from Miller’s original work would have helped intensify those feelings.

All in all, 300 is a visually stunning experiment in cinema that falls short of perfection. It’s a flawed gem that isn’t historically accurate, nor is it the most solid drama in the history of cinema. It’s an adaptation that captures Frank Miller’s vision, if not his voice.

Also in Theaters in cities way cooler than ours-

The Host

The Koreans are kicking our asses.

The most exciting films I’ve seen in recent years are made by Koreans. The Vengeance Trilogy by Chan-Wook Park rank up there with film from names like Hitchcock and Kubrick. Oldboy is what a few Americans know, but it’s predecessor and sequel Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance respectively outstrip it in artistry and/or believability.

Now in limited release is The Host, directed and co-written by Joon-Hu Bong. It’s an Action/horror/sci-fi/political/comedy. And it’s brilliant. I saw an import DVD, so it was subtitled, not dubbed as the US release might be, but one should seek it out if possible. It’s freaky and foreign and fun as all get out.

Beware the dirty formaldehyde.