Many people know about the Alamo and the courage those men possessed. There were less than 200 volunteers and they were fighting Santa Anna’s massive army. If that seemed massive picture this; 150,000 or so Persian soldiers against 300 Spartans and their allies. That is the setting for Frank Miller’s (Sin City) 300. The movie is based on the graphic novel, and while it is not entirely historically accurate, it gets the main point across; a lot verses a few. The setting is the Persian War 480 B.C.E. , and King Leonidas played by Gerard Butler (Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life) is leading Sparta. On the opposite end of the spectrum is King Xerxes played by Rodrigo Santoro (Lost, Love Actually) who is leading the massive Persian army. Leonidas takes his 300 men and allies to Thermopylae, which means "hot gates" in translation. Leonidas knows the terrain and plans to dwindle Xerxes gigantic force within the narrow mountains. What follows is one of the greatest stands in military history. The 300 Spartans and allies held out for seven days against Xerxes force. They killed 5,000 Persians and set the stage for the battle at Salamis (a naval battle) which ended the Persian War. The action sequences in the movie are terrific and the portrayal of the Spartan warriors is on target. Sparta was a warrior state. They did not trade, they were warriors. When a boy was born, he was thrust into training to become a Spartan. The movie does a fantastic job of showing this. The dialogue is average and there are a few sex scenes that could have been left out. Also King Xerxes looks like a combination of Mr.T and Jacob Marley with all his metal and jewelry. Other than that the movie is well done. It is rated R for the violence and sex. This is a great story of what self-sacrifice and dying for one’s country is all about. If you want to know the historical account read Steven Pressfield’s Gates of Fire. I give this movie a B and hope many go see it.