Click here to watch the trailer and clips from “300.”

One of my favorite lines in the movie “Airplane” is when Peter Graves asks the little boy visiting the airplane’s cockpit, “Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?” I’ve got to be honest, ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved the epic, sword wielding movies like “Clash of the Titans,” “Beastmaster” and even the new classics like “Gladiator,” “Troy” and “Kingdom of Heaven.” Those films are often panned by the majority of movie critics, but still, they contain something magical and transformational, whisking the viewer away to simpler, sandal-wearing, loincloth-donning times.

“300” is the latest in the loin-cloth genre and it is supercharged, stylized, bloody and amazing. Adapted from Frank Miller’s (“Sin City”) graphic novel of the same name, there is nothing past or present that touches “300”. Simply put, frame-by-frame, “300” is a work of art.

Directed by Zack Snyder (“Dawn of the Dead”), the story follows the ancient tale of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, where the Greeks, vastly outnumbered, held back the Persian army, led by Xerxes I, in a battle that is referenced often when discussing an armies training, equipment, use of terrain, and courage under dire circumstances. The crux of the story is as the other Greek forces retreated, a small contingent of 300 Spartan warriors, led by King Leonidas, stayed behind and, not only bought the Greek army time to regroup, but also inflicted heavy losses on the Persian side.

Snyder, taking Miller’s artwork nearly frame-by-frame, has recreated this battle, albeit with the fantasy and spectacle of Miller’s graphic novel. We meet Leonidas when he is a young boy and are told of the Spartan’s quest for perfection and how babies that are flawed or weak are discarded, as they are not fit to be Spartan warriors. Leonidas is believed by Spartans to have descended from Hercules and as he is sent to face trials in the wilderness as a child, we see that he is special, fearless and bold.

King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) as an adult is living in peace with his wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) and young son. All is well until Persian messengers come to Sparta with threats from Persian leader Xerxes I (Rodrigo Santoro), saying Sparta must kneel before him or they will be destroyed. Leonidas, ever the bold, rebukes the messengers and kills them. In essence, without the Spartan council’s blessing, he has thrust Sparta into war. It does not help that his chief critic, Theron (Dominic West), is conspiring with the Persians and would love nothing more to see Leonidas fail.

Leonidas gathers 300 of his best Spartans, including his trusted friend, Captain Artemis (Vincent Regan) and heads toward the coast to block the only road the Persians can use to pass. They successfully defend the road against an onslaught of Persian infantry, elite warriors called “Immortals”, soldiers carried on rhinos and elephants and pretty much everything and anything Xerxes I throws at Leonidas. In fact, until a deformed outcast from Sparta betrays Leonidas, the Persians gain no ground and continue to suffer heavy losses.

But the story is only half the equation. The striking color, attention to detail, jaw-dropping special effects, immaculate battle scenes, fantastical characters and overall mood and pace of the film is what makes this my first four-star movie of the year. I was glued to the screen from beginning to end, and, if anything, wished the epic would continue well beyond its 117 minutes.