300: Rise of an Empire 3D Review

Rated R (Strong Sustained Sequences of Stylized Bloody Violence Throughout, a Sex Scene, Nudity and Some Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 42 Minutes

Cast-

Sullivan Stapleton-Themistokles

Eva Green-Artemisia

Hans Matheson-Aesyklos

Callan Mulvey-Scyllias

Jack O'Connell-Calisto

Rodrigo Santoro-King Xerxes

Lena Headey-Queen Gorgo

David Wenham-Dilios

Andrew Tiernan-Ephialtes

Andrew Pleavin-Daxos

Igal Naor-King Darius

Ben Turner-General Artaphernes

Ashraf Barhom-General Bandari

Christopher Sciueref-General Kashani

Gerard Butler-King Leonidas (archival footage)

Michael Fassbender-Stelios (archival footage)

Directed by Noam Murro

Eva Green's Artemisia proves to be the standout in an otherwise perfunctory sequel to 2007's "300."

Note: Screened on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13.

'THIS…IS…SPARTA!!!' Despite its mixed critical reception (60% on Rotten Tomatoes), Zack Snyder's "300" was one of my favorite films of 2007. I won't go so far as to say that it was one of the year's best (that honor goes to the Coen Brothers' "No Country for Old Men" and Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood") but Snyder's violent and fantastical take on the real-life Battle of Thermopylae—based on the 1998 graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley—was a crowd-pleasing picture that explored the concepts of honor, duty, and sacrifice in mightily epic fashion. However, the film's real standout was the heavily stylized action scenes as chiseled male bodies, cloaked in eye-popping crimson capes, hacked and slashed their way across the screen in graceful, bloody slo-mo. This 'speed ramping' effect spawned dozens of imitators (the most recent example is January's horrid "The Legend of Hercules"), to the point where it became another tired and overused gimmick. Considering the fact that (spoiler incoming) almost every major character in "300" perished in battle, the idea of a sequel seemed rather ludicrous. Undeterred, Warner Brothers green-lit a follow-up due to the original's sudden box office success (it earned $456.1 million worldwide). Seven years later, we have the long-belated "300: Rise of an Empire," based on Miller's unpublished graphic novel Xerxes. As Snyder was hard at work on the Superman reboot "Man of Steel," the directorial reins for the sequel was handed over to Noam Murro, whose only credit prior to his hiring was the 2008 dramedy "Smart People." Apparently, this made him qualified to handle a big-budget action blockbuster. From its orgiastic, over-the-top displays of violence to its testosterone-fuelled machismo, "300: Rise of an Empire" offers everything that made the original film such a success but Murro fails to do anything particularly new or memorable with it. This is an entertaining time-waster that exists solely because the original film just happened to make a lot of money.

During the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, the Athenian general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) launches a surprise attack on the invading Persian army, driving them back toward the shoreline. Raising a bow and arrow, Themistokles mortally wounds King Darius I (Igal Naor) while his son, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), helplessly looks on. Lying on his deathbed, Darius tells Xerxes to leave the Greeks alone, as only 'the gods' can defeat them. The fallen king's Greek-born naval commander, Artemisia (Eva Green), claims that Darius' last words were not a warning but a challenge and sends Xerxes out into the hot desert alone. Leaving as a mere mortal, the former prince returns to Persia as a newly-transformed 'God-King.' Resuming his father's campaign of conquest against Greece, Xerxes leads his forces toward Thermopylae but soon encounters resistance from King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his 300 Spartans. Meanwhile, Artemisia sails across the Aegean Sea with her massive naval fleet in the hopes of burning Athens to the ground. Knowing that the only way to stop the Persians is to unite the disparate Greek city-states, Themistokles travels to Sparta to request for aid but Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), not sharing his ideals, harshly rebuffs him. With the Persian's fleet arrival imminent, Themistokles and his men take what little ships they have and prepare to battle in defense of their home and freedom, no matter the cost.

When "300" was released exactly seven years ago, it was something of a novelty due to the picture's speed ramped battle scenes. Using a super-imposition chroma key technique, Snyder sought to recreate Frank Miller's over-the-top comic book imagery in a live-action, cinematic setting. This resulted in a visually striking film that quickly struck a chord with moviegoers. For "Rise of an Empire," director-for-hire Noam Murro takes a 'if it ain't broke' approach but it's blatantly obvious that the sequel lacks the creative energy and drive of the original. Although you'll leave the theater entertained, this long-belated follow-up ultimately feels too perfunctory to appeal outside the first installment's hardcore fan-base. He may not be personally helming the film but Snyder is still very much involved, serving as producer and co-writing the script with Kurt Johnstad. "Rise of an Empire" doesn't directly deal with the aftermath of the Battle of Thermopylae, at least not until the last twenty or so minutes. Instead, it opens with Sparta's Queen Gorgo recounting via voiceover the Battle of Marathon, where the Athenian general Themistokles mortally wounds Persian ruler Darius I with an arrow in the chest. With vengeful naval commander Artemisia pulling his strings, Xerxes is sent to a mystical cave in the middle of the desert, where he is transformed into the 'God-King' that audiences were introduced to in the original film. All this is shown in the first fifteen minutes and it points to one of the biggest problems I have with this sequel: there's just too much exposition. Not only is it cumbersome but it frequently interrupts the flow of the story. Outside of Themistokles and Artemisia, most of the characters fail to make an impression, with Snyder returning to well-worn territory by shoe-horning another father-son subplot in the form of Scyllias and Calisto. However, good luck trying to remember those names because Murro makes no attempt to differentiate them from all the bare-chested extras in the background. The dialogue consists of the same inspirational platitudes and big speeches that characterized the original but it's delivered with less verve and passion this time around, dragging what is already a poorly-paced film down. This is the main issue with "Rise of an Empire;" in an attempt to make lightning strike twice, Murro has crafted a picture that feels too calculated. Although it's never boring, the sequel is nothing more than a pale echo that fails to recapture the cinematic adrenaline rush of its predecessor.

The bulk of "Rise of an Empire" is set concurrently with the first "300" as the Athenian fleet faces off against the massive Persian navy in the ironically named Battle of Artemisium. Like the original film, the production design and special effects look spectacular despite the color palette leaning a little on the dull side due to the battle being set at sea. Fight scenes are appropriately bloody as the screen is constantly filled with thick sprays of crimson gore, enough for a lake. The picture lends itself especially well to 3D and this is one of those rare instances where paying for the premium format is actually worth it. However, as great as "Rise of an Empire" looks, it doesn't change the fact that Murro is just a mere imitator here as he does nothing new or creative with the aforementioned fight scenes. He also tends to overuse the speed ramping effect, with diminishing returns. The only moment that wholly belongs to the sequel is when Artemisia sends for Themistokles in order to parlay with him. Apparently, 'parlay' holds an entirely different meaning to the naval commander as their meeting leads to a gonzo sex scene where the two characters moan and grunt while violently grappling with each other. Quite a few jaws will be dropped.

You won't find nuanced performances here as most of the cast either spends their time shouting at each other or hacking limbs off. While Australian actor Sullivan Stapleton (from the British television series "Strike Back") makes for a passable leading man as Athenian general Themistokles, he pales in comparison to Gerard Butler, who brought a larger-than-life gravitas to King Leonidas. Fortunately, Stapleton makes up for it in the action scenes, especially during the climactic sword fight with Artemisia. The real standout, without question, is Eva Green, who chews the scenery while leaving big teeth marks behind as the Greek-born, Persian naval commander Artemisia. Not only is Green gifted the best costumes, she also has the best lines as her character slinks across the screen, ordering her men around with a seductive yet menacing tone. The sex scene she shares with Stapleton is the complete opposite of the one in "300." Instead of being full of love and passion, it's filled with rage and hatred. The rest of the supporting cast is less defined, with returning cast members Rodrigo Santoro, Lena Headey, and David Wenham having what amounts to glorified cameos. Headey does get her moment to shine, although you'll have to wait until the film is almost over. Faring even worse is Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, and Jack O'Connell. Hell, I didn't even know their characters' names until I looked it up on IMDB!

Originally set to be released last August, Warner Brothers decided to delay "300: Rise of an Empire" to March 7, 2014 due to the original film coming out in the same timeframe seven years ago. Reviews have been mixed to negative with 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that 'despite a gonzo starring performance from Eva Green, [the film] is a step down from its predecessor.' The audience at the advance screening thought differently, with the person sitting to the left of me enthusiastically shouting that it was 'awesome.' Given the time that has passed, it would be wrong to expect "Rise of an Empire" to match or even exceed the original's $70.9 million weekend debut but a $40 million start is a safe bet. While I may have come off as overly harsh, I did enjoy watching "300: Rise of an Empire." It does everything the first film did and more but as hard as Murro tries, you can't make lightning strike twice.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"It begins as a whisper...a promise...the lightest of breezes dances above the death cries of 300 men. That breeze became a wind. A wind that my brothers have sacrificed. A wind of freedom...a wind of justice...a wind of vengeance."