300: Rise of an Empire

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300: Rise of an Empire
Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson
Directed by Noam Murro

Synopsis:
Taking place before, during, and after the events of "300," the god-king Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) is set to take over Greece with the help of his naval captain Artemisia (Eva Green), both of whom harbor bitter resentment from past tragedies caused by the Greeks.

Greek warrior Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) wages a naval battle against Artemisia, and after discovering what happened to the 300 Spartans, he sets out to unite the cities of Greece against Xerxes and the Persians.

Review:
I had to write this review right after seeing this film, because I was worried I would forget everything that happened in it, except for lingering thoughts of Eva Green.  Green's character is the best part of the film, as she is extremely fierce, unrelenting and unforgiving, much like the sea she commands. 

Other than her performance, the rest of the film fails greatly in every aspect.  It's funny that, with the extreme advancements in technology, how this film can look cheaper than the original "300," which came out in 2007.  The blood is obviously fake, the slo-mo sequences are too frequent and unnecessary, and let's not get into how Themistocles can ride a horse through fire and water.  That's just plain silly.

Whereas the original "300" was no Oscar epic, it still moved people and included several statements that are still heard today..."Tonight we dine in hell!"  "We will fight in the shade."  "This...is...SPARTA!"  "Rise of an Empire," however, has no such quotable quotes.  The acting, especially by lead Sullivan Stapleton, is hollow and vacant, even now I can't remember much of what was said during the film.  I'm just thinking of Eva Green.

Summary:
Eva Green. 

My Rating: B-

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