#8. 300 (ZACK SNYDER, 2006)
#8. 300 (ZACK SNYDER, 2006)300 men. 300 swords. 300 shields. As Gerard Butler would scream: “This. Is. Sparta!” The ultimate story about perseverance, strength, and the pure power of will. 300 Spartans stand off against the entire Persian army. No one backs down. No one runs.
Gerard Butler plays King Leonidas as he leads his small army of soldiers to protect Sparta from the invading forces of the Persian army. Every single Spartan in this movie is shirtless, ripped, and fueled with vigor. It is the ultimate display of what raw strength and willpower can achieve. It’s about rising above. About being fearless of defeat.
Butler spent an average of four hours every day training in a gym for four months before shooting. Since the script demanded all of the soldiers’ screen time to be shirtless, the entire cast underwent intense training for 8 weeks right before the shoot. World record holding mountain climber Marc Twight set the regime so that the same exercise was never repeated twice, preventing the body from becoming too content with any one routine. Butler admitted that it was the hardest thing he had ever had to do in his life.
Just watching 5 minutes of the film is proof enough that this is one of the greatest muscle movies of all time. Jump into any scene and you’ll find action, strength, and an amazing display of will. Ranking it #8 on the list.
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