I was nearly as hyped up as any fangirl, although I haven't read the graphic novel (I haven't read any, so no shock there).  I really enjoyed 300 despite the lame dialogue because it was visually luscious; it was gore ballet, but still ballet. 

The trailers, which no one with any sort of electronic media device could escape, looked gorgeous. It's not bad.  But not as great as I'd hoped. 

And I don't think the whole "unfilmable" rap was it. It was the 'music video' component that annoyed me. Yes it had a very complicate plot, but I have a brain, I could follow that.  It felt a bit dated, but I can live with that, too. 

Instead of integrating the music in to support the rest of the film, it became a focus several times.  Most notable was the sex scene supporting Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". That and the incendiary money shot.  The music worked best when it was subtle, like the elevator muzak version of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." I could tell there was a lot of story cut just from the possibilities of storylines. I found myself thinking about them during the music video portions.

Still, it's visually stunning, and worth watching.  Performance wise, Jackie Earle Haley steals the scenes he's in, especially his final scene.  If you thought his performance in Little Children was a fluke, this will change your mind. 

If you're in Austin or anywhere near it, you MUST see it at an Alamo. Get there extra early, as it will be sold out, but also for the pre-show, which has some great fangeek featurettes, and some useful ones for us on-graphic novel geek types. 

And for those who've seen it... is it me, or was Nixon's nose growing?