300 Blu-ray Movie Review — Madness? This is Sony!

by Andrew Podolsky on August 1, 2007 at 6:53 pm

The Playstation 3 just got its most intense, action-packed entertainment yet, and it’s not even a game. Now that 300 is available on next-gen DVDs, Sony should be yelling with all their might about just how good this swords and sandals epic looks on their expensive Blu-ray player.

Sure, it’s available on HD-DVD too, but the Playstation 3 owners out there are probably already into the Greek stuff. They’re the ones looking forward to the next God of War, an exclusive Sony license, and maybe they even have some interest in Gods and Heroes, a Sony Online Entertainment MMORPG. For them, there’s got to be no greater thrill than watching hordes of Persians fall under the heavy swing of Spartan soldiers.

Everything that made this film the breakout hit of the year is here, and it looks great all around. The virtual backdrops are seamless even under 1080p scrutiny, and the blood-spattered combat is utterly flawless. It holds up to repeated viewings, which makes 300 the perfect audio/video demo disc to show off the Blu-ray player.

There are lots of quality special features too, some of which look as good as the movie. The webisodes are only in 480p, but they’re brief and not really as compelling as the lengthy making-of documentaries. Of course, 300 also has a few slow scenes, like a bland political subplot and a hunchback that doesn’t deserve sanctuary, but the handy scene selector that pops up at the bottom of the screen lets you bypass the movie’s few lulls.

300 appeals so perfectly to the demographic that buys into the Sony brand — it’s flashy, violent, and adult — that there couldn’t be a better crossover. Well, except for Spider-Man 3, a Sony Studios film whose font adorns the Playstation 3 itself. Now, if someone could just develop a 300-based game that doesn’t suck as bad as the PSP game, this would be a franchise with some muscled, bronzed, ass-kicking legs.