Over at the San Francisco Chronicle’s website, Cinnamon Stillwell has an interesting analysis of critics’ reaction to the movie 300, which she notes was “the highest-grossing March opening ever and third-highest opening for an R-rated feature”:

While critics described the film as overly violent, juvenile, stupid, macho, right-wing, race-baiting and, according to Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger, an expression of “Saturday-matinee xenophobia,” “300” clearly has resonated with the masses.

Read more for her theory why.