By NICK ROGERS
A&E EDITOR
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER SPRINGFIELD, IL

Noggins aren't just severed in "300." They do full gainers in mid-air that linger on moment-of-death grimaces and how director Zack Snyder's idea of a chopped neck resembles chili with onions.

Frank Miller likes his interpretation of "graphic novel" literal, and this grisly epic is adapted from his take on the 480 B.C. battle at Thermopylae, a pass that the Persians needed to capture to invade Greece.

Largely filmed against a computer-generated background, the movie unfolds over a three-day last stand of 300 Spartan soldiers, led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler). All of them were killed by a Persian army of hundreds of thousands, but only after disproportionately depleting enemy ranks.

To paraphrase one Spartan soldier, Snyder's stylized filmmaking makes for many "beautiful deaths." Many stunning single-shot compositions spring forth from a digital palette of gory gloom - stormy glimpses of Leonidas on a mountain, trees of twisted bodies, forts built of rotting corpses.

Leonidas trained his warrior fraternity to fight as a rigid, singular body, but the movie could use a little bit more of its source creator's trademark anarchy. Miller is an executive producer here, but "300" sorely lacks the co-directing imprint he put on a similarly filmed version of his "Sin City."

Watching brownish blood splatter in near-platelet form is initially invigorating, as is a speedy-slow-speedy-slow scheme for battle scenes. But the violent ballet pulls the same pirouette time and again, lacking the unpredictable aggression of Snyder's film debut, 2004's "Dawn of the Dead." His latest film never invokes its butt-kicking right to gradually top itself for potent, visceral craziness.

The movie's also no groundbreaking visual extravaganza. This isn't something we've not seen before, just more of something we've not seen in a while. All those wheat-filled fields are missing is the brush of Russell Crowe's hand. And, aside from more exposure of female nipples, night scenes are just like Nine Inch Nails' video for "The Perfect Drug."

Sadly, "300" feels like a disappointment Snyder would have made in his initial jump from the music-video world. But the only thing more deadly than constant sameness is constant seriousness.

The Sparta shown here is a place where male babies are killed if they won't one day be physically perfect fighters. Coronation goes to Leonidas only after many contusions, and showing a soft side to his family is frowned upon. The film's wise twist on Leonidas' teary goodbye to his queen, Gorgo (Lena Headey), is that there's not one. She proves as ruthlessly dedicated to Sparta's survival as her man, arguably quenching the film's biggest bloodlust during a political power play at home.

Plus, Leonidas' soldiers have more abdominal definition than He-Man. No reluctant goat-herders or potters here, just killing machines willing to meet death. They don't need faux-"Braveheart" inspiration, stifling narration or Butler's freakish teeth-gnashing on war-hawk soliloquies. Spartan nationalism correctly borders on psychosis, but the script rarely cuts loose with gallows humor, like Leonidas' mouthy quip to Persian King Xerxes that he can't kneel because of cramping.

Played by Rodrigo Santoro of "Lost," Xerxes is an explosion of baldness and bling. Like Jaye Davidson in "Stargate," Santoro's appearance is androgynous, but his voice and height are digitally altered in a failed attempt to make him menacing. More frightening is Xerxes' menagerie of monsters, like a chained troll unbound for a skirmish or an executioner ogre with blades for arms. The movie is well within its right to go over the top with their use. To hell with historical accuracy, as it's not needed, or wanted, in this treatment of the tale.

But something's wrong when an executioner ogre with blades for arms isn't allowed to lop off heads in battle. Strangely, "300" pulls back on its potential for anything-goes craziness and mania.

For a film with such artful decapitations, it has an awfully self-important head on its shoulders.

Nick Rogers can be reached at 217-747-9587 or nick.rogers@sj-r.com

Nick Rogers can be reached at 747-9587 or nick.rogers@sj-r.com.