JHerculano

The era of Murdoch has arrived at National Geographic. The sneaky indoctrination, the half-truths, the thinly disguised falsehoods and the pandering for the lowest common denominator. Origins, their new "documentary mini-series", is a disgusting product of the Fox "imagination". I'd be very, very surprised if there are scientists that appear here and there that are comfortable with the editing. From homo sapiens "swinging in the trees" to fire being a game changer a stupidifing mere 12,000 years ago, in an age with "no society, no protections, no guarantees", to cooking at such a time mandating a society were "women cook and men hunt." A totally idiotic, scientifically-illiterate, mischievous narrative of nonsense. Fire predates homo-sapiens. The protections of society are a major hominization driver from millions of years ago, and there are no evidence whatsoever that points to a women-cook, men-hunt, sexual division of labor at such times. This is what you get when scientific literacy takes a nose dive. this is what you get when you pander to the prejudices and illusions of knowledge from the dregs of your costumer base. This is where National Geographic goes to die in everything but a hollow brand name. Yes, I am furious. You should be too.

Should have been alerted by the "Christian Epic" reference, thought it was an apocalyptic movie in the line of the 7th Sign. It indeed deals with the end of the world and the usual heroes that somehow convince God through some ordeal that He should let us apes live a little longer. But where movies like the 7th Seal grip you by script and acting, this one will bore you to tears. Acting is awful, the dialogs are out of bad evangelical early morning TV, plot and subplot lines make no sense at all. You'll need a lobotomy to watch this one with anything other than utter boredom and a sense that Armageddon must indeed be near for something like this to be thought of, let alone be produced.

300 is not an historical film, as we understand and define it. It is, for the lack of a better definition, a super-realistic (as in beyond surreal) vision over an historical fact that is in no small way vital to our western identity and culture. Like an art photograph, or a portrait, it attempts to distil the emotions and broad canvas of a time and place. And in it succeeds far beyond what I thought possible from an adaptation of Frank Miller's comic book (or, if you wish, graphic novel). I am a lover of history, and have studied for quite a while ancient Greece, and, as a personal favorite, the Battle of the Thermopylae. Anyone that approaches 300 on hopes of historical accuracy will be sorely disappointed, as almost nothing fits. But one who approaches it from that angle does so in utter ignorance, against all that has been written, promised and otherwise mentioned about it. I must have seen this movie, on my computer, more times than any other movie that I can remember, and always with the pleasure of immersion not on a different time and place, but on a gripping story well told, where 21st century technology meets old campfire story telling. As for Iranians or others feeling offended by it… any old story is bound to leave someone offended, if offense is what you constantly seek in this world.