300: Rise of an Empire Reviews

Since '300' was quite a success at the box-office, it was only a matter of time before they came up with a sequel. Eventually, it took them 8 long years to come with a new installment and it is always risky to wait for so long since there is a fair chance that the audience wouldn’t care for it anymore which was apparently what happened to 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'. Anyway, I thought that this sequel was not bad but not really amazing though. I mean, first of all, in my opinion, '300' was pretty good but also rather limited and those limitations were even more obvious here. I mean, Leonidas was really missed here (apparently, Gerard Butler turned down this movie) and Themistocles was not really badass enough. Furthermore, this project was supposed to be about Xerxes which was a very neat idea and, indeed, you get a very quick bit explaining the origins of this character but, unfortunately, it was dropped very quickly and they decided to focus on Artemisia instead. Fortunately, Eva Green was really convincing and definitely the best thing in this movie. To conclude, all in all, it was still a decent watch and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

This was most expected sequel by me. I loved the first installment for its awesome vfx. So I anticipated similar visual pack in this, especially in digital 3d version the expectation was a bit higher. Who's this director and how did he get this project, miraculously, he managed to handle this mega task with mostly the not so famous actors, probably except Eva Green. It's really a great achievement for a filmmaker like him like Peter Jackson did a decade ago for 'The Lord of the Rings'. It may change his future, hope he continues with the remarkable works further on.

As I said I wanted a sequel to '300', but after seeing its ending I thought the title won't fit for the follow-up. It was cleverly written for 'Rise of an Empire'. In the first movie and this, the story had no much scope deliberately. Because the main intense was the stunts and visuals. In this part, OMG, it was one of the best digital 3Dised movie I ever saw. Some of the scenes, especially the sex scene was totally inappropriate. I never knew what was its purpose, maybe because to have a movie's one of the powerful dialogue that follow like this: You fight much harder than you f&%#.

The cast performances were good, in the end it was the graphics that ruled the movie. How amazingly created those scenes, sometimes it was mind blowing. I was just thinking what it would have done if the popular stars had in it. Might have been year's best, but I still consider it the upcoming Oscars strong contender in the visual effects category along with 'The Battle of the Five Armies'. If this won't get a place in the final list, that will be a greater insult for sure.

There is only one thing to
make sure of when the fighting starts.
Don't get killed on the first day.

This was not exactly a follow-up story, instead simultaneously happening one of the first. The story that happens other side of the country which meets in the middle and goes on with the originally intended. The vicious villain Xerxes played by a Brasilian actor had extended display of his role which briefs how he became the god-king. Without a second thought Eva Green is this movie's strength. Would have been an unimaginably worse without her, I guess. This movie is for graphic geeks like me and also who love comic strip mode movies. You should try it in digital 3D then the entertainment is guaranteed, but still would not be your favourite of the year if I am not wrong.

7.5/10

What do you call a movie that is neither a sequel nor a prequel, yet the events take place both before, during, and after the events of the first movie? Answer, I have no fucking clue. Right off the bat the title urks me, I mean the 300 are dead and really have nothing to do with this movie.

Xerxes is given an interesting back story but its all in vain, he is virtually absent for most of the movie. The visuals aren't as clean and rich, which is a shame because it comes a whole eight years after the original was made.
The only saving grace is Eva Green as Artemisia. Green is totally committed to the part and exudes sexiness and badassery in equal measure.

Bottom line, see it to fulfill that fantasy you always had of seeing Eva Green in a role like this. That is all.

So I am one of those people who loved the first 300 and I was excited when I first saw the trailer as well. This was directed by the guy who made Smart People and a bunch of apparently award winning commercials. Some people from the first movie even show up in this one as well which is cool. Okay the slow-motion is way more overused in this entry than the last one. I think it's pretty interesting to see that this was a prequel, sequel, and even in a linear timeline with that of the first movie. The action is pretty awesome and I like the different tactics they use as well. Eva Green has this exotic appearance about her and great acting skills that makes her exciting to watch. Artemisia is quite the dangerous one when it comes to blades. She has probably the most messed up kills of all the 300 movie characters. Themistocles is a good enough lead character, but he in no way compares to Leonidas. The acting ain't bad though. It did get me excited to see what will happen next. I would recommend giving this a try. It was pretty fun to watch in my opinion.

Seen in IMAX 3D

When 300 invaded movie theaters seven years ago, Zack Snyder stated that it would change the way “sword and scandal” movies were viewed. In a way, he was correct. Its lush visuals and frenetic action sequences were something we’ve never seen before on film. It went on to become a huge success (grossing almost five hundred million dollars worldwide) so evidently, a sequel was inevitable. Seven years later we finally get that sequel and while it might not be as good as 300, it provides its fair share of thrills and visually spectacular moments.

300: Rise of an Empire is not only a sequel, but also a prequel and a companion piece to 300. The beginning takes place ten years before 300 where we see Persia’s first attempt at invading Greece. Persia is defeated when General Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) of Athens takes out King Darius of Persia. During that time we see Darius’s son Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) ascend to the throne. One could say that this is almost an origin story of Xerxes since we see how Xerxes transforms into the God-like man we see in 300.

Fast forward ten years later and Persia once again invades Greece. This is when the movie mirrors 300; it takes place during the events in 300, but in a different location. While King Leonidas and his army are away battling Xerxes, Themistocles and his army are taking care of the rest of the Persians at sea commanded by Artemisia (Eva Green). Most of the movie takes place here as we see battle after battle until Themistocles hears word that King Leonidas and his army have been defeated. The last act of the film attempts to tell what happens after 300, when Leonidas and his army have fallen.
One of the best things about 300 was Gerard Butler and his larger than life performance as Leonidas. Initially, they planned for him to come back, but he didn’t want to reprise his role. He is sorely missed here and the void left by his absence is never really filled although, Eva Green comes awfully close. She by far has the most interesting character and easily gives the best performance, but despite a tragic backstory, she’s a villain, which makes it hard to sympathize with her character. Instead, we get Stapleton to take Butler’s place and while his performance is fine, his character Themistocles is no Leonidas.

Most people will probably be seeing this for its visuals and epic battle sequences. In that case, this film will not disappoint. Visually, this movie is just as impressive as its predecessor. It’s only in-between the battles that this movies falters. Not a lot of what Themistocles has to say is interesting and his speeches aren’t nearly as memorable as Leonidas’ pep talks. Suffice to say, you won’t be seeing any internet memes or hear people quoting this movie as much at the first film. Thankfully, these scenes are short and it doesn’t take long before the movie cuts to another battle.

Having seen this film in 3D, my advice would be to skip it. It’s not so much how the filmmakers use it (they use it to great effect); it’s the way it looks that’s the problem. One of the negative side effects of 3D is that it tends to make things darker, and that’s what happens here. This is a problem because most of the battle scenes (and most of the movie for that matter) takes place at night or on a gloomy day. On more than one occasion I took off the glasses for a couple of minutes because the picture was so much brighter and I could see what was going on better. I would still advise you to see it in IMAX if you can, but the 3D nearly ruined some of the action sequences. See the 3D version at your own risk. Yes, the globs of blood hurling at you are pretty cool, but it’s not as fun when you can’t see what’s going on.

The best thing than can be said about this film is that it’s never boring. It moves at a nice pace from battle to battle, but those looking for the same experience the first film gave them will be disappointed. With the exception of Eva Green, the performances aren’t as good this time around, the big speeches are boring, and if you thought there was less substance in the first film, there’s even less here. That’s not why people want to see these films though; they just want to see the amazing battle sequences and be entertained for a few hours. The film delivers in that regard, and based on the way this concluded, it’s clear that if this makes enough money at the box office (which it probably will), we’ll be seeing another one of these in the near future.

"Better we show them, we chose to die on our feet, rather than live on our knees!"

A long-rumoured, long-delayed follow-up, 2014's 300: Rise of an Empire arrives seven years after Zack Snyder's breakout graphic novel adaptation grossed an absolute mint at the global box office. More a companion piece than a straight sequel, Rise tells a parallel story that takes place before, during and after the events of the 2007 flick, shedding light on the naval aspect of the war between the Greeks and the Persians. Although Snyder relinquished the director's chair this time around, he nevertheless produced and co-wrote Rise, loosely basing the screenplay on the as-yet-unpublished Frank Miller graphic novel Xerxes (itself a sequel to his 300 graphic novel). The new director here is Noam Murro, tasked with mimicking Snyder's style without coming off as a cheap copycat. Thankfully, Murro quickly finds his footing, resulting in an often organic-feeling second instalment that has its own voice. Thrilling and entertaining, it's an unapologetically manly movie, the first must-see actioner of 2014.

With King Leonidas (played by Gerard Butler in the original flick) preparing to battle the god-king Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), Athenian General Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) prepares to defend Greece by sea. Leading the Persian navy is ruthless commander Artemisia (Eve Green), who was also responsible for Xerxes' transformation from mere mortal to super-being. Themistokles hopes for a united Greece in order to face off against the Persian invaders, but Queen Gorgo of Sparta (Lena Headey) refuses to join forces, instead trusting in Leonidas and his three hundred Spartans to defend their city. With Artemisia's army outnumbering Themistokles' men, he endeavours to rely on strategy and brutality to fight for their freedom, no matter the cost.

Written by Snyder and Kurt Johnstad (who also contributed to the original film), the storytelling of Rise is all over the place, and that's putting it mildly. It's simultaneously a prequel and a sequel to 300, while most of the narrative runs in parallel to its predecessor. It's an uneasy proposition, and unfortunately, it doesn't always work, with some of the flashbacks running so long that the flow of the picture is majorly disrupted. Rise is hugely convoluted, tackling too much material considering that the appeal of 300 is boobs, blood and gore. Added to this, the majority of the male characters are completely one-dimensional, blending into one another and lacking distinctive character traits. Snyder's picture wasn't a profound drama, but the main Spartan players were distinguishable from one another, a characteristic not retained for this endeavour.

Considering Murro's only other feature film credit is 2008's uninvolving misfire Smart People, the director was an unlikely choice to orchestrate this orgy of R-rated ultra-violence and sexuality. He was also tapped to direct the fifth Die Hard movie before electing to helm Rise of an Empire instead. Who the hell saw any of that coming? Although the deck was stacked firmly against him, Murro ably proves his worth as an action filmmaker, staging a multitude of hugely entertaining set-pieces which benefit from superlative choreography and gorgeous visuals. Snyder's stylised digital recreation of Miller's comic panels was the defining aspect of 2007's 300, and Murro follows suit, using desaturated colours and slow motion to nice effect. The scope of Snyder's original feature was restricted, but Rise feels much larger with its scenes of ocean combat, and it's often hard to tell where the sets end and the CGI begins. Although this reviewer did not view the picture in 3D, it seems like a smart fit for the format.

Retaining the R-rating of its predecessor, Rise of an Empire is a monumentally violent effort, with scores of blood and viscera thrown all over the screen with reckless abandon. There are numerous tracking shots throughout the big action sequences, observing the visceral effects of sharp blades against human skin in slo-mo. Murro's work is ferocious, and his camera never baulks from capturing graphic displays of bodily harm, set to a pounding score courtesy of Junkie XL. It's very over-the-top as well, but in a fun sense; Murro even throws in a horse galloping across ships and sea creatures swallowing fallen men in the water, retaining a healthy sense of the fantastical to ensure we never mistake this for a proper history lesson. But while the film's violence pushes NC-17 boundaries, and there is nudity and sex to boot, Rise remains orderly and often gorgeous to observe. Framing is sophisticated and the flick was clearly assembled with a sure hand, boasting top-flight technical specs across the board. If there's anything to criticise, it's the digital bloodshed. It's effective from time to time, but on other occasions, it looks distractingly phoney, and not in a stylised sense like the original movie. There is still an immense visceral punch to the action, but the blood effects simply look too cheap, and superior craftsmanship in this aspect could've yielded a stronger experience.

As Themistokles, Stapleton is a decent performer who acquits himself respectably, but he lacks the presence of Gerard Butler, whose authoritative, loud performance in Snyder's movie rendered him a memorable protagonist. Picking up most of the slack is Green as Artemisia, relishing the chance to play a menacing villain. It's ultimately her who runs away with the movie; she hams it up with glee and is given all of the best one-liners. Reprising his role of Xerxes, Santoro is fine once again, though he's given a lot less to do for this go-round. Butler reportedly chose not to feature in the sequel, though Leonidas does appear beyond archive footage from the original movie. Likely a stand-in with a digital makeover, the result is incredibly awkward, with Leonidas saying absolutely nothing. On a more positive note, David Wenham returns here, and his performance is robust, while Headey makes a strong impression as Queen Gorgo.

300: Rise of an Empire concludes in an extremely open-ended fashion, leaving plenty of room for a third instalment if the box office is as bountiful this time around. Despite its abrupt ending, the movie is nevertheless an enjoyable sit, the very definition of a big-screen spectacle. It's goofy to extremes, with cheesy one-liners and hilariously over-the-top kills, but the enterprise is played with the right amount of sincerity to prevent it from descending into a dumb self-parody. Rise is not as good as its predecessor, but it's definitely a worthwhile follow-up, skilfully delivering the type of stuff that fans of the original will come looking for.

7.2/10