How much you will enjoy 300: Rise of an Empire really depends on how you felt about the first film. While the first 300 was mildly engaging with its plot, thoroughly entertaining with its action, and awesome with its effects, our second outing – complete with new director Noam Murro – is too excessive to be anything more than a visually intriguing, adrenaline-pumping behemoth of blood, guts, and glory.
The film starts strong with the gorgeous Lena Heady narrating in a detached tone, not dissimilar to her character – Queen Cersei – from Game of Thrones. Here Heady reprises her role as Queen Gorgo and fares much better than she did in the first film. Her acting has improved to the point where she is constantly scene-stealing and outshining all others; even though that proves to be quite an easy feat.
Heady’s character is given the task of providing a little interesting backstory to Xerxes and the basis of the war; one filled with the usual themes of heartache and the uncompromising thirst for vengeance. It’s the only non-action sequence that works in this movie.
The acting here is inconsistent and sloppy, Sullivan Stapleton as our new primary Spartan is silent and too solemn in a movie that is much too stylised and over-the-top to be taken seriously. Instead, Heady and Eva Green best their male counterparts in every way. Green plays the villainess role to a tee, and is both captivating and charismatic for the most part; that is, until her character does some really idiotic things.
Green’s character – Artemesia – is developed in a way that has her as a ruthless, strong, and very powerful enemy; certainly one that would never hesitate to take advantage of a potential win. Yet, you know those terribly frustrating moments when one person is winning a fight and then stalls for absolutely no reason but to be dramatic? Yeah, those happen a lot here.
Now the action here is strong, and plentiful; fans of the first film will have fun with this and leave satisfied. But there is too much of everything; too much of the same blood splattering effects used over and over again to the point where it just becomes tiresome; too much use of the fast-slow-fast motion to emphasise every single stab and every single punch. The fighting is just so stylised that it becomes dull and predictable very quickly.
From sexual power-play to Xerxes shouting a lot about nothing, this film’s ridiculousness will disappoint you if you go in expecting anything more than an all-brawn action flick. Sure, there is some plot wedged in there somewhere, and Murro actually does well in staying true to Frank Miller’s gorgeous cartoonish style, but ultimately 300: Rise of an Empire is too comfortable giving us a formula that can’t sustain itself for very long.
Review Score TWO STARS OUT OF FIVE
300: Rise of an Empire is in cinemas nationally today – in 3D and in IMAX!
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