Review - 300: Rise Of An Empire (2014)

At the Theater - "300: Rise Of An Empire" (2014) - I went into this follow-up to 2006's 300 with low expectations and came away pleasantly surprised- while the first film remains a more rousing, finely-tuned affair that had the benefit of freshness regarding it's distinct visual aesthetic (it obviously helped immensely to have an existing graphic novel as a resource), 300: Rise Of An Empire is a rock-solid, blood-soaked sequel that delivers what fans of it's predecessor should be expecting.  It's a visual treat that also manages to excite in small bursts, providing a healthy amount of that kick-ass, machismo cool throughout. 

While 300 covered the Battle of Thermopylae (where Spartan King "Leonidas", his 300 Spartan warriors and around a thousand other Greeks faced off against an exponentially larger Persian army), this particular sequel's narrative covers the Battle Of Artemisium- at approximately the same time those brave 300 were locked into battle, an Athenian General had his hands full in defending Greece's shores from an invading Persian navy. Some audience members may find themselves confused with a story which interweaves itself within the events which transpired before, during and after those covered in the first film.  In short, make sure you have the events from the first film fresh in your mind before checking this out.

I missed Gerard Butler's charismatic presence as Leonidas (those familiar with the first film should understand why he wouldn't be featured here), but Aussie actor Sullivan Stapleton (Cinemax's Strike Back) is a commendable replacement as the film's central protagonist, the Greek general "Themistokles".  Stapleton has the chops and presence, but isn't given nearly enough of those memorable one-liners to belt out.  Get used to seeing him in more leading roles, with most of them more than likely action-oriented.

Eva Green's (Casino Royale 2006) sly, sexy turn as the vengeful commander of the Persian navy, "Artemesia", ranks right up there with the best screen villainesses of all time. The former Bond girl was the only worthwhile aspect of Tim Burton's Dark Shadows "reimagining", and seizes a golden opportunity to further mine that femme fatale vein.  Audiences can next expect Green to vamp it up in a similar role in August, 2014's Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.  I'm sure she won't disappoint.

Returning cast members from 300 include Lena Headey (Dredd) as Spartan Queen, "Gorgo", David Wenham (Public Enemies) as the one-eyed Spartan Warrior, "Dilios", Andrew Tiernan as the deformed hunchback, "Ephialtes", and Rodrigo Santoro (The Last Stand) as the hulking, golden-skinned Persian King, "Xerxes".   New faces and characters include Callan Mulvey (Zero Dark Thirty) as Athenian spy, "Scyllias", Jack O'Connell (Harry Brown) as his eager-to-fight son, "Calisto", and Hans Matheson as Athenian soldier, "Aesyklos".

Director Noam Murro (Smart People) replaces 300's Zack Snyder at the helm and seems content with not tinkering too much with what wasn't broken.  The action sequences are commendably choreographed and staged, though the boundaries of believability are pushed to the limits. I could have done without a late sequence in which our hero charges into the thick of a naval battle atop a seemingly supernatural steed- it was too digitized for it's own good.  As I alluded to above, the first film (and it's director) had the visual framework already in place via Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name- it's an extremely faithful adaptation, even going so far as transferring many of the novel's striking panels.  Miller's follow-up graphic novel, Xerxes, has yet to be published/released.

I believe people may be tiring of the speed ramping effect (slow motion footage with bursts of fast-forwarding interspersed) utilized throughout.  I can't knock it here as the first film that I can remember actually seeing it employed in liberally was this franchise's first installment- we've had a lackluster Immortals (2011), a fantastic television series in the form of Starz's Spartacus and now, a full eight years later, a sequel which applies the same visual dynamics- perhaps it may be a bit late in the game for some to still appreciate, but I'm still ok with it.

Clocking in at about 102 minutes, the narrative is indeed short on character development and could have used about 10-15 minutes of fleshing out in this department.  In comparison, 300 was about 117 minutes long.

I'm so very thankful this franchise hasn't gone the PG-13 route (I'm calling you out, Robocop 2014!)- fans of the first film can expect the same graphic bloodletting, complete with a myriad of digitized dismembered appendages and gallons of arterial spray coming at ya' in a worthwhile 3D presentation.  There is one hellacious sex scene and ample shots of bare, heaving bosoms throughout.  I even appreciated the excellent original score from Junkie XL- it's much better than it has any right to be, kinda like this whole movie.

Bring on the Battle of Salamis !

Recommended-

8.0

Director: Noam Murro
Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, David Wenham, Jack O'Connell, Rodrigo Santoro and Andrew Tiernan,
Run-Time: 102 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for strong sustained sequences of stylized bloody violence throughout, a sex scene, nudity and some language

For what it's worth - 

300 (2006) - 8.5