While 300 was a good movie, the DVD features, artwork and extras were just average.
DVD Details
DVD Release Date: July 31, 2007
Released By: Warner Bros.
Formats Available: Full Screen, Widescreen, 2-disc Special Edition, HD-DVD
DVD Provided for Review: Full Screen
Discs: 1
Movie Synopsis: Click here
Movie Review: Click here
Movie Rating: R for Graphic Battle Sequences Throughout, Some Sexuality and Nudity
Movie Summary
300 is a retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartans went up against hundreds of thousands of Persians in a battle of impossible odds. However, Spartans aren’t to be underestimated as their whole life (from birth through adulthood) is dedicated to being the best warriors in the world. The movie is based on the novel by Frank Miller and takes a very visualized approach to telling the story.
Report Card
DVD Packaging & Presentation: C+
DVD Ease of Navigation: C
DVD Special Features: D-
Overall Impression of DVD: C+
DVD Packaging & Presentation: C+
The Full Screen 300 comes in a standard DVD box with one DVD inside and no printed leaflet. The artwork on the front is visually representative of the movie while the back seems to be a bit cluttered. The back contains a quote from Pete Hammond of MAXIM (who’s that?), which reads, “A spectacular visual feast that is as inventive and groundbreaking as the first Matrix.” The movie is a visual feast that is inventive, but comparing it to The Matrix is a bit of a stretch.
When you pop the movie into the DVD player, the copyright message comes up followed by the previews. Luckily, pressing the Menu key gets you to the main menu. Too many studios these days are forcing you to watch the trailers as if it was a VHS tape.
When you select Special Features you quickly realize that it shouldn’t be plural. There is only one special feature on the DVD and it is audio commentary that’s not too enlightening and has a lot of pauses (more on that later). The Languages section is hard to read and has a cluttered feel like the back of the DVD box.
DVD Ease of Navigation: C
The DVD is easy to navigate through, however, some of the color and font choices on screens like Languages, don’t make navigation easy. Hard to read text and colors don’t add to much stress to your navigation experience, but also don’t make it easier, either.
DVD Special Features: D-
For this review, Warner Bros. sent us the one-disc Full Screen version of 300, clearly inferior to its bigger brother – the 2-Disc Special Edition. But this review is based on the Full Screen version and for Special Features it gets an “D-”. In fact, there aren’t any special features (plural) – only one special feature (singular). The movie has the audio commentary track of the director, screenwriter, and director of photography. It makes you wonder why they even have a Special Features selection option on the DVD.
Missing from the special features is the movie’s trailer. I only mention that because the trailer is reportedly also missing from the 2-disc special edition, which is surprising. Many people love to view trailers of movies they like because it is the trailer that built their anticipation for the movie to begin with.
The commentary in the one special feature is pretty standard. There are awkward moments of silence, but you do learn some fascinating facts. The commentary is subtitled, which I thought was cool until I saw that the movie’s dialogue was subtitled into the commentary too – making it a little strange. In this case, the movie audio would have been fine on its own with the additional commentary subtitles.
Overall Impressions of DVD: C+
There’s nothing special about the Full Screen 300 DVD. Whereas the movie is good (read my movie review), the DVD itself is just average..
DVD Kudos
None
DVD Annoyances
Only one special feature.
No trailer for the movie.
Commentary has forced subtitles that includes commentary and movie dialogue.
Too many commercials on startup.
List of Movie Trailers (only play when DVD is first inserted)
Trick r Treat
The Brave One
List of Commercials (only play when DVD is first inserted)
300 March to Glory video game
300 Soundtrack
GameTap
DVD
