Minor Spoilers follow...
Has it really been 8 years since King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans stood against the Persian Armies of Xerxes? Now the sequel is upon us! The original was never intended as the beginning of a franchise - at least in my eyes, it was its own self-contained story. Rise of an Empire begins with the victorious Xerxes surveying the dead corpses of Leonidas and his fallen soldiers and proclaiming his coming victory over the Greek Nations. We get a good bit of backstory to his character as we learn he has prior battle experience and a link to the new Greek commander, Themistokles. Also in the mix as an important impetus to his reign as the God-King, is the Persian Navy Commander Artemisia, played by Eva Green. This story takes place in parts before, during, and after the Battle of Thermopylae.
Most of the film's set pieces take place on the open sea as Artemisia's Persian warships clash with the overmatched Greek fleet led by Themistokles and his band of artisans, poets, and tradesmen. It is awesome spectacle - ships ram each other, blood literally flows into the air like geysers, and death and destruction abound along with the pounding soundtrack. War, indeed.
The acting is what you would expect if you've seen the original - capable and convincing - the highlight being Eva Green's villainess. She is nasty and a complete badass. She is also a master swordsman - a king's assassin. Some familiar faces round out the cast including Lena Headey's Queen Gorgo and David Wenham as Dilios. Sullivan Stapleton is no Gerard Butler but he is good enough in the role of Themistokles.
This movie is terrific. It's as good as it can be and then some - it continues the 300 tradition of hyper stylized violence and epic battles. If you walked out of 300 wanting to march on an enemy's army and destroy them, then Rise of an Empire will make you want to finish the job, blood stains and all.
4.5 out of 5 Khans!!!
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