The 300 is an epic movie that has wowed several viewers, not only with its storyline but how the action scenes were filmed.
A quick recap of the movie 300: It retells the Battle of Thermopylae during the Persian Wars. The story revolves around King Leonidas, who led 300 Spartans to stand up to 100,000 soldiers of the Persian King Xerxes. Although outnumbered, the Greeks held back the enemy.
Although movie critics find the movie a collection of gory fighting scenes, filmgoers view it differently— jaw-dropping and exciting; it even garnered 456 USD at the box office.
Do you want more movies with the same storyline and feel like 300? Here are our top picks. Get enthralled by the built tensions in these epic historical action movies like 300.
1. Braveheart (1995)
English 2h 58m IMDb
Director: Mel Gibson
Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan
The story of Braveheart revolves around the Scottish rebel, William Wallace, who started a quest to free Scotland. He led a rebellion against Edward the Longshanks, a cruel English ruler who planned to inherit the crown of Scotland. This movie from 1995 shows the story of a man who dares to follow his calling.
The movie did not only have a massive cast; every actor and actress breathed life into their characters. Braveheart is a balance of outstandingly portrayed battle scenes and great dialogue exchanges that gives out philosophy, political strategy, and inspiration.
A simple phrase from this movie etched on the viewer’s mind is “our freedom.” It reminds us to stand up against oppressive forces, even during these modern times.
A few years later, another epic movie was released and drew comparisons to Braveheart.
2. Gladiator (2000)
English 2h 35m IMDb
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen
The movie follows the story of a former Roman General who was forced to become a Gladiator after his family was murdered. Maximus is a powerful Roman General who was adored by many, including the Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Before the Emperor passed, he chose Maximus to be his heir.
It left Commodus, the Emperor’s son, in wrath, condemning death over Maximus’ family. As Maximus lost his family, he was captured and put into the Gladiator games. As Maximus fights for his life in the tournaments, he is fueled by his desire to have his vengeance.
Although some viewers pointed out the dragging plot for revenge, the emotion and brutal violence have kept the tension at bay, entertaining the audience further. The heart-stopping fighting scenes are just a cherry on top of a touching story. You can feel the burning desire for revenge in the movie.
3. Troy (2004)
English 2h 43m IMDb
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Stars: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom
The plot of Troy, the epic historical war film, is loosely inspired by Homer’s Iliad, showing the struggles of an eerie uprising and the foreshadowing of fate. The war broke out between the two nations when Helen, the Queen of Sparta, left his husband and sailed back to Troy with Paris.
Movie critics agree that, although Troy is an entertaining and visually striking movie, it lacks emotional resonance. But, if you enjoyed the action and battle scenes of 300, then this movie will spark a burning desire in your heart.
Moreover, the plot does not shy away from the underlying tension in giving political and humanity dialogues through its characters.
4. Clash of the Titans (2010)
English 1h 46m IMDb
Director: Louis Leterrier
Stars: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes
The movie is slightly different from the 300, and it is a fantasy-centered one that shows the war between demigods and gods. Perseus, a demigod, started a mutiny when his mortal family suffered untimely.
As he does not have anything to lose, Perseus plunges on a quest to stop Hades from plunging the human world into chaos. But, can this demigod outstand a god?
Now, viewers are curious whether Perseus, the son of Zeus, could defy the gods and save the humans when the clash of Titans happens.
Meanwhile, movie critics know that this movie is a remake of the 1981 movie original, and it does not suffice enough visual thrills to offset the differences in their script.
5. The Last Samurai (2003)
English 2h 34m IMDb
Director: Edward Zwick
Stars: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly
A heart-stopping action drama about an American military advisor tasked to wipe out the Samurai culture. However, when the Samurais captured him, he learned and adapted to the cultures of the Samurai.
Viewers have become more intrigued by the interesting shift in the character’s conviction. It made them question whether the main character would choose humanity over patriotism.
What makes this movie more spectacular is its star-studded cast. Tom Cruise gave his best performance in this movie; the movie critics and audiences were amazed by how Kent Watanabe outshined Tom Cruise on a few occasions in this movie. Thus, it makes their scenes more mesmerizing to watch.
6. Alexander (2004)
English 2h 55m IMDb
Director: Oliver Stone
Stars: Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson
A movie chronicles Alexander’s eight-year journey through Persia, Egypt, to India. If you think this is a fully-fiction movie, it is not. There may be a bit of fiction to keep the plot entertaining, but Alexander conquering the world at a young age is a concrete fact.
Viewers are shown the intimate and gory events that happened in Alexander’s life. However, there are no specific details about what caused his death. Alexander is as daring as King Leonidas when he and his 300 Spartans faced thousands of soldiers.
7. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
English 2h 24m IMDb
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Liam Neeson
This movie explains a lot of how we are today; it is the time of the Crusades during the Middle Ages that introduced religions in different parts of the world.
The Kingdom of Heaven is King Baldwin’s vision of peace, which his knights uphold with honor in their lives. Moreover, they uplift the sacred oath of protecting the helpless, safeguarding peace, and harmonizing religions and cultures.
Although the movie bears a lot of inspiring dialogues and has made us understand the conflicts in the Middle East, the action scenes are substantial.
8. Beowulf (2007)
English 1h 55m IMDb
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Stars: Ray Winstone, Crispin Glover, Angelina Jolie
Beowulf is an animated movie loosely inspired by the Old English poem, Beowulf. The movie retells how Beowulf was a great fighter who defeated Gredel, the monster that terrorizes Denmark.
However, Beowulf has to face again Grendel’s mother who is seeking revenge for his son. How the fantasy elements and well-animated battle scenes are visualized, leave the viewers intrigued and excited.
Although the audience loves the plot of Beowulf, critics were quick to point out the visual effects and source material interpretation.
9. Robin Hood (2010)
English 2h 20m IMDb
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Matthew Macfadyen
Robin Hood has several remakes and interpretations, but this is a good one; the thrill and dialogues have the same impact as 300. The movie is set in the 12th Century in England, where Robin faced corruption and tackled the crown by leading an uprising.
Several movie audiences love how the characters were given life and its heart-stopping action scenes. However, movie critics are not quite convinced because of the lacking traits of Robin Hood in this movie. Nevertheless, people still love how Robin Hood brought down the tyrannical powers.
10. The Eagle (2011)
English 1h 54m IMDb
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland
The brave Spartans in 300 deserve the honor. In this movie, soldiers are shown honor. The story follows a young Roman officer who embarked on a journey to solve the mystery of his father’s disappearance and restore his reputation.
However, movie critics have given the film lower ratings even when the movie audiences think it deserves more. If you love the terrible odds that happened in 300, this movie will excite you as scenes build up more tension.
11. 47 Ronin (2013)
English 2h 8m IMDb
Director: Carl Rinsch
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ko Shibasaki
47 Ronin is the fictionalized film of the Samurai culture in the 18th Century. The story revolves around how they seek to avenge the death of their master.
Although movie critics say the movie is dull and the characters only have one-dimensional roles. More so, the Japanese audiences were not that impressed by the film. However, its Western audience does not agree and respond to the film.
The movie production has ensured the film is visually appealing and has a beautiful representation of ancient Japanese mythology. Although it is quite a bit of a cliché, the audience still finds the movie enjoyable.
12. Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
English 2h 30m IMDb
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley
An epic biblical film touches on the book of Exodus in the Bible, where Moses brought out the Hebrew enslaved people from Egypt. The storyline of how Moses bravely led his people with only the faith and courage he had is similar to how King Leonidas bravely led his 300 Spartans.
Several movie audiences may have praised their performance, but several critics feel that the film did not stick to the details of the materials. It may be made to keep the film interesting until the end, but the incorrect interpretation and representation of the biblical story made some audiences frown.
13. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
English 2h 6m IMDb
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Jude Law
You might be familiar with the story of King Arthur, and this movie is an alternative version. In this movie, Arthus is an orphan raised in a brothel after his father, King Uther Pendragon, and his mother were killed by Vortigern. Legends foretell that only the next kin can draw Uther’s sword from the rock it was lodged in.
As Vortigern wants to ensure no one will claim the throne, he forces all young men to draw the sword. Now, Arthur does not have any idea about his birthright. How will he face this plot twist in his life?
Several critics are not in favor of the movie, and they might be expecting something else. However, the audiences loved the alternative story of King Arthur.
14. Kesari (2019)
Hindi 2h 30m IMDb
Director: Anurag Singh
Stars: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Suvinder Vicky
You will not believe this. Kesari is a true story of how 21 Sikhs armies fought against 10,000 Afghans in the Battle of Saragarhi in 1897. The plot of this war drama focuses on the struggles in defending the North-West Frontier Province. Amazingly, this movie represents the greatest last stand in history.
Even when the film is a reenactment of a battle in 1897, the cinematography and dialogues keep the good casting and cinematography exciting until the end. However, movie critics were disappointed as only one character, Havildar Ishar Singh, is the only character that has a backstory.
Summary
These historical action movies are as epic as the 300. Some of these movies might have a different storyline from the 300, but it still shows bravery and compassion that moves hearts. Did we miss out on any good historical action movies? Share it with us.
