The film starts off with no holds barred, packed with continuous violence and gore. The opening scenes vividly depict the Spartan tradition of raising children into soldiers through a series of brief but clear shots. In Sparta, every male is trained to become the perfect warrior from birth, enduring rigorous trials. At age seven, they start military service, wearing minimal clothing throughout the year and are purposely underfed to encourage stealing, which is seen as a way to build courage.
Astonishingly, to become a king in Sparta, one must survive years of exile in the wilderness and return alive.
Visually, the opening can be described as spectacular, with almost every scene enhanced by special effects.
Then, the adult Leonidas makes his official appearance.
The film gives Leonidas a dramatic close-up, initially focusing on his rock-hard face. The camera then slowly pulls back to reveal his neck, chest, abs, and finally his red shorts.
This is a close-up meant to showcase true masculine appeal.
Giovanni Salvatore kept his eyes glued to the big screen. The figure displayed was muscular but not overly exaggerated like those of drug-enhanced male models. Instead, it conveyed a sense of natural strength.
A powerful man, an appealing man, seemed destined to look like this.
The camera pull-back was quick, the entire close-up lasting only two or three seconds. When the red shorts appeared, Giovanni Salvatore distinctly heard a chorus of appreciative murmurs from the audience.
"Glug—"
It seemed there were also sounds of many people swallowing hard.
Donadoni glanced towards the source of the sound. It came from a female fan in her thirties, who stared wide-eyed, her throat visibly moving as she murmured excitedly to herself.
"This... should strike right to the heart, right?"
Seated among the general audience, Giovanni Salvatore felt the impact profoundly. Matthew Horner was incredibly popular.
Compared to male models, Matthew Horner's physique not only exuded masculine beauty but also a natural allure.
Charlize Theron was also present. As the movie progressed, her elegant eyebrows rose high in surprise.
The visual effects of slow-motion combined with painterly backgrounds were outstanding. Every necessary element—violence, gore, perversion, and sensuality—was executed with more than 100% effectiveness. As for the soundtrack, while she didn't quite understand the connection between metal-rock music and ancient Spartan warriors, the electronic beats in a large theater were undeniably powerful.
Especially for Matthew, the film featured several scenes where he single-handedly fought off ten enemies. The action sequences, with his remarkable skill, combined with high-speed slow-motion and the bloody windswept exteriors, produced a truly stunning effect.
The film heavily highlighted Matthew's portrayal of Leonidas, making the character wildly compelling and intensely masculine.
Watching Leonidas take down the Persian foes on screen, Charlize Theron couldn't help but recall the wonderful nights they had spent together. She had firsthand experience of Matthew's formidable prowess, truly akin to a god of war.
"Wow..."
Once again, the theater echoed with awe-filled exclamations.
Leonidas stood on the edge of a seaside cliff after repelling the Persian Immortal officer. His red cape fluttered dramatically in the wind.
The golden sunlight bathed his body, with sweat and blood running down his nearly perfect muscles.
Another close-up, this time portraying the protagonist as a god of war.
After witnessing an intense and bloody battle, many viewers thought that even if the camera didn't cut to another scene, simply watching this serene shot was worthwhile.
The Battle of Thermopylae is a well-known event, often romanticized in Western media and academia as a fight for the so-called defense of freedom and democracy. Many knew the outcome.
Leonidas was destined to fall.
"Slow down, more slow-motion."
From Giovanni Salvatore's side, he heard the female fan again, "I just want to see this man a little longer, even if it's just one more minute."
However, not everyone wanted the film to continue. Some people were already restless by the latter half.
"What is this?"
"Is this what they call a movie?"
Sitting comfortably in his seat, Rex Reed had been hearing his fellow critics' complaints from the first ten minutes of the film.
A nearby Los Angeles-based professional critic, showing equal disdain, muttered, "The whole film feels like an extended MTV music video centered around fetish lingerie, with the theme being ancient Greece and the music being Rock... And Matthew Horner, is he even an actor anymore?"
On screen, the battle resumed, with Matthew Horner effortlessly slaughtering the Persian army. In the back, the regular audience erupted with excited cheers.
The fans seemed like they were on an adrenaline high.
Rex Reed's face twisted in disgust. This was a blatant display of vanity, he thought. The director indulgently flaunted CGI and slow-motion effects, while Matthew Horner paraded his physique like a stripper, inciting raw, exaggerated reactions from men and women alike.
Is this what they call a movie? Is there any artistic value?
Undisciplined! Too gory! Excessively brutal!
Rex Reed scribbled these short phrases in his notebook. Then, seeing another close-up of Matthew Horner as King Leonidas, he could no longer hold back his inner rant.
"Okay, you have a great body, hard muscles, and impressive… uh, assets. I admit it! But do you need to flaunt it so blatantly? Don't you know that flaunting is a sin? It's bad enough in ads, but you bring it into films too! If I don't give this a terrible review, then the donkey's butt I kissed back in the day would have been in vain!"
As the movie approached its conclusion, Charlize Theron glanced back. The critics' section was right behind her, and she was worried.
As a seasoned actress and an Oscar winner, she knew all too well that "300 Spartans" was destined to be mauled by critics, especially those who saw themselves as guardians of the artistic integrity of cinema.
She shook her head, hoping that Matthew and the film could withstand the inevitable backlash.
Giovanni Salvatore, hailing from the romantic Mediterranean, was now infected by the enthusiasm of the fans around him. Though he didn't understand much else, he was sure of one thing: if Leonidas... no, if Matthew Horner's red shorts were from Armani, they would maintain a premium price and sell worldwide!
"I'm such an idiot!" Giovanni Salvatore smacked his forehead. "I should have signed Matthew Horner and negotiated a deal as soon as I saw the trailer! Now... what a missed opportunity!"
A mistake! Such a mistake!
The more majestic Matthew Horner appeared on screen and the more thrilled the audience became, the more Giovanni Salvatore berated himself.
He was convinced he had made a mistake, and the entire Armani missed out on a prime chance—a chance to market Armani underwear globally.
Donadoni, however, was not thinking as deeply. Watching the enthusiastic fans and hearing their frequent exclamations, he too concluded one thing.
As soon as this film ends, these fervent fans will rush to IMDb to give "300 Spartans" a perfect score.
The audience was already captivated by the film and the visceral thrill that Matthew Horner provided.
On the screen, the final scene approached. Leonidas, after making the self-proclaimed god-king bleed, roared defiantly into the sky amidst a rain of arrows...
Brutal yet heroic, Leonidas fell in a pool of blood.
The theater fell into an eerie silence. Everyone knew Leonidas was destined to die, but when that moment came, hearing his last roar and seeing him die without retreating, even in death, still brandishing his sword forward, the audience was stunned into silence.
Quiet... Quiet... Still quiet.
Then, somewhere, a low sob broke the silence, followed by more sounds of weeping.
Even Giovanni Salvatore, being a relatively emotional Italian, felt a tear forming at the corner of his eye, which he quickly wiped away, pretending to rub his eyes.
Of course, such sensitivity was rare.
But everyone was moved by Leonidas's final heroic sacrifice, and everyone was affected by Matthew's last cry.
Even Rex Reed was momentarily taken aback. The scene of Leonidas's death seemed to have genuinely impacted him.
What's going on? Could Matthew Horner's acting really be this powerful?
After a moment's thought, Rex Reed realized that Matthew Horner and this role were perfectly aligned. In the film, Leonidas was an indomitable god of war, and in reality, Matthew Horner's image was just as godlike.
When he fell so heroically, it was as impactful as when Leonardo sank into the ocean in "Titanic," a moment of explosive emotion that was extraordinary!
Rex Reed conceded that the director had done an excellent job, amplifying Matthew Horner's exceptional charisma through the camera and setting to its utmost.
However... it was still a display of excessive bravado, still just muscle flaunting.
As the film ended, Giovanni Salvatore scanned his surroundings. Regardless of gender or age, everyone seemed elated, visibly excited, and there was an array of admiring comments, showcasing Matthew Horner's popularity and the acceptance of his portrayal.
This endorsement could only belong to Matthew Horner!
As Giovanni Salvatore solidified his decision, the screen credits rolled, and the theater erupted in thunderous applause that lasted for a long time.
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