"Meet the Spartans" is yet another movie in a long line of films that centers solely on skewering pop culture.

In that, it certainly succeeds. There are references to downward-spiraling starlets like Britney, Lindsay, Paris and Nicole; and TV shows such as "Deal Or No Deal" and "Ugly Betty."

The plot, if I may venture to call it that, is based on the events of the movie "300," where one Spartan leads the aforementioned number in a fight against a Persian army numbering in the millions.

"Spartans" reduces that number to 13, and replaces the actual battles with a dance off, a yo' mama contest and a quick trip through "Grand Theft Auto."

As for the laughs, well, not so much. It's not that the movie isn't funny, because it is, at times. It's just weary in a way that reminds me of an "SNL" skit that goes on about twice as long as it should - and that's saying something for a film that didn't even last an hour and a half.

This movie is what passes for satire these days, which is unfortunate. Rather than taking a few cultural concepts and slowly roasting them on a spit, "Spartans" tries to accomplish too much. It's like watching YouTube's greatest hits for an hour but with people that sort of look like they're famous.

There is just no subtly to this movie. Yes, people get annoyed with "American Idol," but to kick Sanjaya and the trio of judges into a bottomless pit doesn't even provide much in the way of Schadenfreude, not in the way "American Dreamz" made the entire affair seem like a farce.

The other running gag is to milk the supposed homoeroticism of "300" - e.g., open-mouthed kisses for the men, high-fives for the women. A bunch of ripped, masculine guys running around in leather thongs with swords and spears does lend itself well to the task, but to turn the camaraderie and stoicism of the original characters into a mockery does a disservice to the base material.

I suppose that, however, was the intent.

Sean Maguire, who did a stint on "EastEnders," does a decent job of pulling off the Leonidas character, flopping between goofy and serious with ease. Carmen Electra gets to look hot, which is all she's supposed to do, and Kevin Sorbo gets to have some fun as Leonidas' second-in-command.

"Spartans" has its moments. I won't say I didn't laugh. But for a movie which isn't supposed to make one think, I found myself pondering how such blatant ridicule was ever supposed to be funny.

{M3'Meet the Spartans'

Starring: {M3Sean Maguire, Carmen Electra, Kevin Sorbo

{M3Directors:{M3 Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer

{M3Run time:{M3 1 hour, 24 minutes

{M3Rated:{M3 PG-13, crude and sexual content throughout, language and some comic violence

{M3Now playing at:{M3 College Square, Crossroads

2 out of 5 stars