300 Limited Collector's Edition

Though it was only last year that Zack Snyder's 300 hit the silver screen, the powers-that-be have decided to release a Limited Collectors Edition box set, which includes a 52-page booklet, a few still shots from the film, a lucite motion film clip display and a new bonus disc with an "in-depth" look at the making of 300. For people who live on the far side of the Hot Gates, 300 is the mythologized retelling of the true story of the 300 Spartans who stood against the invading Persian army in the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City), which in turn was influenced by Miller's childhood viewing of the 1962 movie The 300 Spartans, which itself was based on the legendary historical event, 300 is about as far from realistic as is possible for a "true story" to be. Filled with grotesque creatures and filmed with one of the most unique visual styles ever seen on the silver screen, this film is a mythological tale of fantastic proportions. 300 was first released on DVD last summer and fans who picked up the two-disc special edition at that time will be asking, "What makes this new edition worth burning a new hole in my wallet?" Unfortunately the answer is "not a lot." The new bonus disc holds only a single half-hour-long "Making of" feature, the 52-page booklet is nothing more than pictures from the film/graphic novel/storyboards, with the only text being quotes from the script, the lucite display thing is neat for the 30 seconds you wiggle it back and forth to watch Leonidis throw a spear, and the collectible photographs are pretty but useless bonus items. The whole set comes in a nice big box to display on your shelf, though it will probably just take up valuable space where ten other DVDs could fit. The film remains untouched, as does the special features disc from the original two-disc edition, which contained the standard assortment of extras. This set is geared towards die-hard fans and people who don't know what to buy someone for Christmas. And though this box set doesn't have a lot new going for it, it's better than getting a wrong-sized, ugly sweater from aunt Alice.