Not sure if I will see this one, probably steal it over the net in my normal nerd fashion, and brace myself for disappointment. Being a history nut I find it hard to watch these epic historical moments being turned into hollywood "fodder".
The Spartans were a pack of ruthless bastards in anyones book, but having such a small population they needed to be feared to survive. Their population being made smaller by brutal treatment of their children & any man who so much as shivered while fighting (who then had his head half-shaven & was delegated to a status less than slave). More again were lost in their training that started at age 6 for the 'agoge' (if i remember right).
I'm betting that not only were the scenes not shot in the real world, but it's resemblance to historical accuracy would be like watching Dr. Phil talking Pol Pot through his inferiority complex.
This movie will do for the Battle of Thermopylae what Sound of Music did for WWII