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Learning of a troop advancing towards the city, Spartan King Leonidas (Sean Maguire) calls for the formation of a defense to block the enemy from coming any nearer towards their domain. Although only around a dozen Spartans respond to the urgent call for battle, Leonidas is content to know that these men are the best fighters available, the most capable and raring to defeat the intruders, a horde of Persians, headed by their god-king Xerxes (Ken Davitian). Though apparently better prepared and they have the number, the Spartans with their captain (Kevin Sorbo) still outwit their enemy. But a second battle is in the offing, the Persians want to win. So they are not giving up.
The above synopsis of Meet the Spartans appears to be the background or framework for a lot of happenings that do not jibe with what the audience expect from the story. This is meant to be a comedy, a spoof about unexpected scenes, dialogue and actions meant to elicit laughter, thus the inclusion of unexpected elements like the appearance of characters from this present century, like quick shots of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Borat, among others; the use of such objects as television, a car, Xerxes transformed into a robot, spot appearances of Shrek and American Idol.
There may be a rare sequence or two that could get the audience to laugh or be amused, but there are several scenes that could cause emotional stress in the viewers, or make them question about the propriety of such being shown and to laugh at. The following are some examples. A Spartan father, to bring up his baby son as someone tough, fearless, used to pain etc., would throw him many times on the ground, and also throw himself on top of his child. And there is the mother applauding the two with all smiles. Babies born with unacceptable defects are thrown on a pile of already discarded newborns. There is a large round well- not used for water – but to kick, push or throw in people Leonidas and his followers find fault with, this includes those who come from our century. Crude and violent acts in language, comic violent acts, the treatment of matters like vomit, urine that indicates humor of a gross kind, sexual innuendos of the gay and man-woman kind, and so on. One is hard put to find something really positive in the movie.
(Date Reviewed: 13 March 2008)
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