Warning: This film is rated R for extreme graphic violence. Make your filmgoing choice accordingly.

300 Credit: Warner Bros.

I've never really felt inclined to run around, brandishing a spear and shield while wearing a leather thong with a red cape and bellowing "This is Sparta!" Then I saw 300.

The movie is based on and closely follows the plotline of Frank Miller's graphic novel which loosely depicted the Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans battled an army of more than 1 million Persians. The Spartans are led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) who has refused to surrender to the Persian king, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro).

300 Credit: Warner Bros.

Lacking the approval of the Greek counsel, Leonidas' decision to go to war casts doubt upon his decision and a victorious outcome. Having conquered most of Asia, Xerxes considers himself and his army impregnable because he believes that he has the support of the Gods and that he himself has achieved near god-like status. Leonidas is determined to prove both his Greek doubters and Xerxes wrong.

300 Credit: Warner Bros.

The battle scenes in 300 are nothing but awe-inspiring. Although the vast number of Persians seem intimidatingly excessive, the up-close camera angles make the battles intimate, as if the audience was among the combatants.

The special effects are well-produced, often making it difficult to discern whether the Spartans are appearing on an actual set or on a computer-generated landscape.