--- title: "300: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/300/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/300" critics_score: 53 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # 300 (2007): what the critics said Critics' score 53 from 13 reviews: 3 positive, 5 mixed, 5 negative. The reviews of 300 lean mixed to negative, with praise concentrated on its stylised imagery and battle choreography. Even several detractors admire the colour-controlled, graphic-novel look and elaborate action compositions. More favourable critics find enough excitement in the spectacle to forgive the thin story, while others regard the visual design as the chief achievement of a film with little emotional range. There is far less enthusiasm for the dialogue or characterisation. The disagreement is over how long those images sustain interest, and what the violence amounts to. Repetitive combat, excessive slow motion and hollow characters recur among the complaints. The spread is wide: Eye for Film embraces the film as forceful entertainment despite its political complications, while Digital Spy finds the writing and repeated violence tedious. The AV Club raises a more pointed objection, finding nationalist, pro-war assumptions beneath action that strips combat of danger and loss. ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2007. Festival review. Honeycutt finds the film thrilling and visually impressive, while warning that its approach risks becoming repetitive. He especially praises the battle choreography and stylized visual world, but criticizes the weak political subplot and Leonidas’s lack of depth. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/300-158321/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2007. McCarthy finds the film blustery and overindulgent, but visually arresting and likely to satisfy action fans. He praises its stylized, color-coordinated imagery while faulting its suffocating visuals and narrow range of emotion. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/300-2-1200509812/) ## Screen Daily — Brent Simon Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2007. The page identifies this as a review, but the review text is unavailable in the accessible page. Its verdict and any specific praise or criticism therefore cannot be established. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/300/4031042.article) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 20 March 2007. The page identifies this as a review, but its text is unavailable. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise cannot be determined from the accessible metadata. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/300-1) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 2.5/4. 9 March 2007. Ebert gives the film a mixed verdict, finding its style more compelling than its substance. He singles out its striking visual design as its chief achievement. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/300-2006) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 3/5. 23 March 2007. The review calls the film a beautiful, startlingly gory guilty pleasure, though it criticizes the thin plot and relentless violence. It praises the striking visual style and the terrible beauty of its battle imagery. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/300-review/) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2007. Phipps finds the film troublingly nationalist and pro-war, though he admits its appeal is hard to resist. He praises its distinctive look and breathless action, while criticizing how the stylized battles drain violence of danger and loss. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/300-triumph-of-the-kill-1798211260) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 1.5/4. 6 March 2007. Schager finds the film visually striking but emotionally empty and wearisome. He praises the breathtaking compositions while faulting the slow-motion spectacle for lacking substance and feeling. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/three-hundred/) ## Empire — Will Lawrence Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 1 March 2007. The critic finds the film visually impressive but shallow, with its epic ambitions undermined by weak characterization. He praises the striking visuals and battle choreography, while criticizing the overblown music and excessive slow motion. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/300-movie-review/) ## The Guardian — Rob Mackie Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2007. Mackie finds the film visually striking but ultimately shallow and tiresome. He singles out its burnished, graphic-novel look for praise, while criticizing the bombastic dialogue and macho spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/oct/05/dvdreviews.actionandadventure) ## Eye for Film — Chris Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 March 2007. The critic gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling it an exceptional piece of entertainment despite its political complications. They single out its atmospheric cinematography, lifelike fantasy landscapes, and stylized battle visuals for praise. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/300-film-review-by-chris) ## /Film — Peter Sciretta Rating 6.5/10. 9 March 2007. The critic finds the film visually innovative but ultimately dull and unsympathetic. The elaborate action cinematography earns praise, while the lifeless dialogue and characters draw complaint. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/495668/movie-review-300/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 21 March 2007. The critic finds the film ultimately tedious and hollow despite its striking visuals. The visuals are singled out for praise, but the thin writing and repetitive violence undermine them. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a44214/300-44214/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/300.md