Psychological warfare or Just Hollywood? Is Iran blowing 300 out of proportion?

Answer 1

The movie does strike me as racist and has from the first time I saw one of those billboards with the screaming bald guy with the piercings and stuff. The choice of a Scottish actor as the Spartan hero is also pretty bizarre, as is the portrayal of Xerxes as a pseudo-homosexual giant.

So, on the whole, the movie seems like it is at least ahistorical and quite probably takes advantage of certain cultural prejudices against non-European civilizations.

A professor of hellenistic history at the University of Toronto also wrote an article on the movie and its inaccurate portrayals of King Leonidas, Spartan society, Persian society. It is really worth reading:
http://www.thestar.com/article/190493

Answer 2

Haven't seen the movie or even the promos. I do know the historical story it is based on which preceded Muhammad and Islam by a mere 1200 years or so. Of course the Muslims are making something out of nothing just like with the Pope quoting 800 year old text and the Danish cartoons. Fabricated outrage all which lead to things like the destruction of the two giant Buddha statues, assassinations, and wars.