Remember the 300

Spartans, tonight, we dine in hell!

And dine in hell they did, as Spartan after Spartan fought till their glorious CG-fied deaths, brutally sliced apart and beheaded Madame-Tussauds-wax-figure style. The backgrounds were beautiful, the CG fluid and plentiful, the action scenes exciting and well-coordinated. The tinge of brown throughout most of the movie gave it a parchment-like feel, which I think was very appropriate. It was a visual feast! (especially for the ladies)

The story, however, feels like a tiny speck of butter spread over a huge slice of bread; its simply too thin! Too few story elements, coupled with what seemed like half the movie done in slow motion, made it kinda boring. The action sequences might be well-choreographed, but they are long and tend to be draggy (partially due to liberal use of slow motion).

For most parts, it feels exactly like how another reviewer puts it; a highly-stylised MTV.

Rating: 3/5

Watch it for the action scenes. And visuals.

Oh, btw, check out what Cheng Hong posted on his blog:

At the age of 18 or 19, it is customery in spartapore for the boy to be separated from his parents and thrown into a world of violence. Manufectured for over 40 years, the spartapore warrior society created the finest civilian army the world has ever known. By punishment and physical training, the boy was taught to show no fatigue, no mercy. Constantly tested, tossed into tekong, left to pit his wit and will against the jungle's fury. It was his initiation, his time in Tekong, that he will return to his people as a soldier.

The commando mosquitos begin to circle to boy, syringe of black steel, burned as dark night, eyes glowing red, jewels from the pit of hell itself. The commando mosquitos sniffing, savouring the scent of the meal to come. Its not fear that grips him, only a heightened sense of things. The warm air in his lungs, winswept rainforest trees moves against the calming night. His hands are steady, his form perfect (squishes the mosquitos with his rifle butt). And so the boy given up for dead returns to his people to sacred spartapore a soldier! Our Soldiers!

Hahaha! Good luck with NS Cheng Hong! I'll be joining you soon enough......