The saying that the original is always better than the sequel rings true for 300: Rise of an Empire as this much anticipated sequel to 300 fell way short of King Leonidas’ standards, well, more like Gerard Butler’s standards.
The movie which is a time-filler, backstory and side story to the original 300 movie plot makes it turn out to be more like a spin-off than a sequel.
The underdog theme that made the first 300 a classic is present but maybe General Themistocles’ naval exploits against King Xerxes’ biggest navy in history is not the same odds as King Leonidas’ 300 Spartan warriors against an army that shakes the earth when it marches.
King Leonidas and his Spartans valour and skills in battle against the vast Persian army had audiences on the edge of their seats half the time but this sequel rarely does that to you.
The expectation of the audience about this sequel is definitely based on who will avenge King Leonidas’ death as his death has to be avenged.
The opening scene to the movie was King Leonidas lifeless corpse being put under an axe by Xerxes just turned out to be a teaser.
What they get is an unabashed speech on freedom and democracy where the idea was worshipped in the movie but definitely not the reality of the fight for survival they faced in front of the biggest army to ever marched the earth.
That’s what made the original 300 work.
Instead the movie focussed so much on its historical accuracy than entertainment that it might as well turn itself into a documentary.
One single ray of light was Darius’ naval commander, Artemisia played by Eva Green who played her scheming, conniving and provocative evil role to perfection, making Xerxes look like an extra.
If only there were more Artemisia in the movie and less of the hero type that eventually turns the movie into a predictable and normal run off the mill type.
The other woman in the movie Queen Gorgo played by Lena Headly was not properly developed and limited to her role as the narrator for the movie, frothing about freedom and democracy.
Had Themistocles died a heroic but horrible death then maybe the movie could have worked – again they preferred a historically correct movie than an entertaining one.
Not to take anything away from the movie though, the gore of the battle scenes has bridged from the original and the stunts are comparable if not much better than the original.
The production had everything worked right down to the detail with the cinematography and the camera angles lifted straight from the graphic novel that inspired this movie onto our screens.
That is something that the 300 movies really excelled in, as it put together a moving picture that just feels like reading the graphic novel with mastery works of the slow motions and the splashing of blood.
In fact it seem like they concentrated so much on this particular aspect of the movie and forgot to introduce a plot that will set a new standard set by King Leonidas and his 300 Spartan warriors.
