Meet the Spartans (2008)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A Spartan king must defend his land against a Persian army in this absurd parody of the film 300.
The story
A Spartan elder selects three babies, choosing Leonidas for his muscular physique to be prepared for kinghood through brutal training. After surviving the wild and hunting a gangsta penguin, Leonidas returns as king and marries Margo. Years later, a Persian messenger arrives with King Xerxes' demands for submission. After Leonidas reacts violently to the messenger's disrespect, he seeks counsel from prophets and the Oracle. He eventually prepares to lead a small group of Spartans to the Hot Gates to face the Persian army, only to discover that the number of accepted soldiers is unexpectedly small.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being raised as a Spartan and marrying Margo, King Leonidas faces a Persian messenger who demands Sparta's submission. Leonidas reacts by kicking the messenger and his guards into a pit. Seeking guidance, he consults prophets and the Oracle Ugly Betty, who warns him of his impending death. Leonidas prepares to defend the Hot Gates with a tiny army of thirteen, including his son Sonio and the unfit Dilio. At the Hot Gates, they meet a deformed Paris Hilton, who reveals a secret goat path. Leonidas rejects her as a soldier, but she later betrays the Spartans to Xerxes. While Queen Margo battles the traitorous Traitoro using a dust buster, the Battle of Thermopylae begins. The Persians deploy Ghost Rider and Rocky Balboa, who kill Sonio. Captain is poisoned by Botox and killed by Xerxes. Leonidas pursues Xerxes, who uses a 'Transformer Cube' to become Xerxestron. Xerxestron accidentally falls on Leonidas and the remaining Spartans, killing them. Dilio returns to Sparta to inform Margo of the death. A year later, Dilio leads a new force but ends up in Malibu, knocking down Lindsay Lohan. The film ends with the cast singing 'I Will Survive' on the American Idol stage.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 83
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jason Friedberg; Aaron Seltzer
- Writers
- Jason Friedberg · writer; Aaron Seltzer · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sean Maguire · Leonidas; Carmen Electra · Margo; Ken Davitian · Traitoro; Kevin Sorbo · Captain
- Genres
- parody; comedy
- Themes
- Parody; Pop Culture Satire
- Tone and mood
- Absurd; Satirical; Cringeworthy
- Premise and plot tags
- Parody; Comedy; Historical Fiction (Satire)
- Source material / true-story basis
- 300 (2006)
- Franchise connections
- Friedberg and Seltzer films
- Reception
- The film was panned by critics and appeared on several lists of the worst films ever made, though it was a commercial success.
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Picture · Nomination; Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Supporting Actress · Nomination; Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Director · Nomination; Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Screenplay · Nomination; Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was briefly parodied in the credits of the movie Rambo.; The film grossed $84.6 million on a budget of $30 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…