300
9 out of 10 A reviewer in the Metro recently slammed 300 as jingoistic, brutal, homophobic and racist. The reviewer was a muppet. I think she forgot to consider the tale being told and the people and times it portrays. Let’s look at the criticisms one at a time: Jingoistic? Yeah, it was conflict-loving, testosterone-fuelled machismo, but that's not jingoism. Only one short scene struck me as having uncomfortable parallels with modern-day over-patriotism. Indeed, the majority of the posturing was brought about only by a desire to defend Sparta, not to play the bully with Persia. Brutal? Yup, it’s a fair cop. But what’s wrong with a bit of the old hack and slash from time to time? :) Homophobic? You what?! This is the least rational of all the criticisms levelled at it. There wasn’t a single reference to homosexuality. Maybe the reviewer objected to this? Finally, racist? Presumably, the reviewer objected to the Persians having darker skin than the Gr...