300 is the story of the Battle of Thermopylae where the Spartan King Leonidas and 300 Spartans warriors fought a last stand against the invading hordes of the Persian Empire. It is based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300 which in turn was inspired by the movie The 300 Spartans.

The movie is a frenetic, chest-thumping, testosterone-laden, adrenaline-pumping action fest of a legendary, even mythical scale. The computer enhanced contrast and minimalist CG background makes sure you focus on one thing: the action (and the muscle-tone of the unbelievably buff Spartan warriors). This is further enforced by a rousing, high-energy sound track that make you want to stand up and have a go at the Persians yourself.

The almost non-stop action is punctuated only by short breaks of relative peace as if to ensure you don’t get a heart attack. Or perhaps it’s for moving the story onwards. Whatever it is, you sit back, listen, perhaps understand, and wait eagerly for the next action sequence because that is the reason you watch this movie.

Rating: 5/5

The Last King of Scotland is not a Braveheart sequel :P It is the story of a Scot doctor’s experience as the personal physician and adviser of the infamous Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

The movie claims it is based on true story. Actually, it is loosely based on a book which in turn is loosely based of the life of Bob Astles. So to me, claiming it’s based on a true story is a little bit of a stretch. But that doesn’t really matter, it’s still a good story.

James McAvoy as the doctor did a great job of playing the doctor trapped in a surreal, inescapable descent into an orgy of horror and madness. But this movie is more of a tour de force of the thespian skills of Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin. Before seeing the movie, I was incredulous about him being Idi Amin. But he pulled it off brilliantly!!! He effortlessly transforms from warm to terrifying, from friendly to paranoid in the blink of an eye. He is just plain awesome!

Rating: 4/5