Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) assembles his troops to fend off an invading Persian army led by the immortal Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and the vindictive Persian navy commander Artemisia (Eva Green) in this sequel to 300 based on the graphic novel Xerses by Frank Miller. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Noam Murro
Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena
Headey, Rodrigo Santoro, David Wenham
Release Date: Mar
07, 2014
RealD 3D
Rated: R for strong sustained sequences of stylized
bloody violence throughout, a sex scene, nudity and some language
Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Whether you loved it or hated it, 300 was a landmark film of
sorts. Its visual style set off a series
of imitators all trying to achieve that level of visual glory. I personally loved 300 even if its story was
a bit hollow, the visual fest on display was more than enough to make up for
it. 8 years later with a new director at the helm
we finally get a sort of sequel. It’s a
prequel and sequel all rolled up in one with event happening before, concurrently
and after the events of 300. It covers a
lot of ground and surprisingly it’s incredibly engaging powered by a beefier
story behind it. Sullivan Stapleton is a
fine lead even if he doesn’t have the bravado or magnetism of Gerard Butler’s Leonidas. Eva Green though is the real star of the
film. She vamps up the screen with a maniacal
glee which is sure to leave a lasting impression all while wearing an
assortment of dominatrix meets gladiator fetish garb. Each of their roles has a nice bit of depth giving
them more heft than expected, it’s a shame there very little characterization for
the supporting characters though. As a
result pretty much all the supporting players are just fodder for the
beautifully choreographed battles. Blood
splatters everywhere, typically followed by limbs or heads, in a dizzying
display of blood soaked madness all on the high seas! The film ends with a nice opening for the
final chapter; hopefully it won’t take another 8 years.
B+
