Rating: Unrated
Starring:
Sean Maguire as Leonidas
Carmen Electra as Queen Margo
Ken Davitian as Xerxes
Kevin Sorbo as Captain
Diedrich Bader as Traitoro
Method Man as Persian Emissary
Jareb Dauplaise as Dilio
Travis Van Winkle as Sonio
Phil Morris as Messenger
Jim Piddock as Loyalist / Simon Cowell
Nicole Parker as Britney Spears / Paris Hilton / Paula Abdul / Ellen DeGeneres / Hunchback Paris
Ike Barinholtz as Dane Cook / Bond Villain / Prophet
Crista Flanagan as Spartan Woman / Ugly Betty
Hunter Clary as Leo Jr.
Emily Wilson as Lindsay Lohan
Special Features:
Cast and Crew Audio Commentary
Know Your Spartan Pop Culture Trivia Game
Meet the Spartans: The Music
Prepare for Thrusting
Tour the Set with Ike Barinholtz
Gag Reel
Trailers
Other Info:
Widescreen
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
French and Spanish Language
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD description:
“Prepare to fight… back tears of laughter watching this ferociously funny Unrated ‘Pit of Death’ Special Edition of ‘Meet the Spartans’ – with ruder cruder footage not shown in theaters and an army of hysterical historical special features! The battle begins when the heroic Leonidas armed with nothing but leather underwear and a cape leads a ragtag group of 13 – count’em 13! – warriors to defend their homeland against the invading Persians whose ranks include Ghost Rider, Rocky Balboa, the Transformers and a hunchbacked Paris Hilton!”
This version of “Meet the Spartans” is unrated. The theatrical version was rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language and some comic violence.
The Movie:
As you’d expect, “Meet the Spartans” follows the formula of “Scary Movie,” “Epic Movie,” etc etc etc. It’s a script that does little more than string parodies of random popular movies and TV shows together to form an occasionally amusing yet utterly unsatisfying film. This time around the victims are “300,” “Ghost Rider,” “Transformers,” “Shrek,” “Casino Royale,” “Spider-Man,” “Happy Feet,” “American Idol,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “America’s Next Top Model” and “Deal or No Deal.” Also parodied are Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Donald Trump, Dr. Phil, Tom Cruise, J-Lo, and “Brangelina.”
You already know it stinks, but is there anything funny in this film? Believe it or not, yes. I was very surprised by Nicole Parker who did hilarious impersonations of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Paula Abdul, and other characters. She was one of the few performers in the movie that drew consistent laughs from me. Sean Maguire, Kevin Sorbo, and Diedrich Bader fare relatively well, too, but they are funniest when they’re doing a straight parody of “300,” not one of the multitude of other films. And that’s where these parody movies should head back to. They need to follow the formula of “Airplane,” “The Naked Gun,” and other classics that parodied genres and not simply the most popular movies of the last few months.
If you like these dumb parody films, then “Meet the Spartans” will be right up your alley. Otherwise, look elsewhere for a good laugh.
This DVD has a few bonus features. There’s an audio commentary, gag reel, and a trivia game. There’s also a feature that allows you to skip to the pop music featured in the film. The highlight of the extras is a tour of the set with Ike Barinholtz. He harasses and is harassed by the cast and crew while giving a behind the scenes look at the production. It’s short but funnier than the film itself.
