300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
TOMATOMETER
Critics Consensus: It's bound to hit some viewers as an empty exercise in stylish gore, and despite a gonzo starring performance from Eva Green, 300: Rise of an Empire is a step down from its predecessor.
Critics Consensus: It's bound to hit some viewers as an empty exercise in stylish gore, and despite a gonzo starring performance from Eva Green, 300: Rise of an Empire is a step down from its predecessor.
Trailer
Photos
ADVERTISEMENT
Movie Info
Based on Frank Miller's latest graphic novel Xerxes and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster "300," this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield-on the sea-as Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. "300: Rise of an Empire" pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and … More- Rating:
- R (for strong sustained sequences of stylized bloody violence throughout, a sex scene, nudity and some language)
- Genre:
- Drama , Action & Adventure
- Directed By:
- Noam Murro
- Written By:
- Frank Miller , Zack Snyder , Kurt Johnstad
- In Theaters:
- Mar 7, 2014 Wide
- On DVD:
- Jun 24, 2014
- US Box Office:
- $106.6M
Cast
-
Sullivan Stapleton
as Themistocles -
Eva Green
as Artemisia -
Lena Headey
as Queen Gorgo -
Rodrigo Santoro
as Xerxes -
David Wenham
as Dilios -
Andrew Tiernan
as Ephialtes
Related News & Features
-
RT Podcast: Ep. 024 - Transformers: Age of Extinction, The Leftovers
– Rotten Tomatoes
-
New on DVD & Blu-Ray: 300: Rise of an Empire, Enemy, and More
– Rotten Tomatoes
300: Rise of an Empire Videos
Photos
Friend Ratings
No Friends? Inconceivable! Log in to see what your friends have to say.
Critic Reviews for 300: Rise of an Empire
All Critics (170) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (72) | Rotten (98) | DVD (1)
The mere existence of 300: Rise of an Empire is worthy of note, especially the inventive means by which the story has been advanced.
Artemisia may ultimately have lost the war in this clash of civilizations, but she wins our hearts.
Don't be surprised if, two weeks from now, you forget it ever existed.
Long on crimson spurts of blood but low on character, larded with production value but bereft of any other kind of it, "300: Rise of an Empire' is a 3D joke.
There is much grinding of teeth, and mauling of history, and anachronistic use of gunpowder, until we plug our ears and desperately pray to the gods of Olympus, or the brothers of Warner, that they might make an end.
If the movie's action recalls video games, the dramatically artificial lighting suggests 1980s rock videos. Indeed, Rise of an Empire is so campy that it might work better as a musical.
Black Sabbath's War Pigs coats the end credits in the aural equivalent of liquid metal, the final guilty pleasure of a senses-battering 106 minutes of military mayhem.
So utterly mind numbingly dull.
If you liked 300, you're probably going to really like 300: Rise of an Empire. ... it's got more character development, a smarter story, and is just gorgeous to watch and amazingly good fun.
Eva Green is flat-out spectacular here, giving a fully physical and genuinely shaded star turn that is almost as exciting as all of the hacking and slashing.
Call it Sergio Corbucci's Thermopylae.
Like many sequels we see these days, it's a lot of the same only bigger and louder.
300: Rise of an Empire is nothing but an attempt at recapturing the glory of its predecessor through imitation.
"(An) action-fantasy that's far more fun to parody and poke fun at than it is to go back and watch."
...generally fares just a little bit better than its Zack Snyder-directed predecessor...
The story is interesting, but it's the look that director Noam Murro makes the focus of his '300: Rise of an Empire.'
There will be blood. And, of course, speeches about rising up against insurmountable odds and homoerotic subtext.
It's a big-budget helping of fanboy eye candy in which the action scenes are meant to be so dazzling that you ignore that it doesn't make much sense - or that you've basically seen it before.
As Persia's sexiest naval commander, Eva Green is to this 'sidequel' as Cate Blanchett is to 'Blue Jasmine,' and I mean that as a compliment and not a joke: She's a frightening and awe-inspiring force of nature, draped in camp instead of Chanel.
"300" a Rousing, Blood-soaked Adventure
More than any other element, Eva Green's performance singlehandedly elevates the film from the doldrums of its hermetic conception and execution.
Oafs in an uproar.
This sequel is a wholly second-rate effort, save for the incomparable Eva Green.
It doesn't need to strut about waiting for a climax as 300 did, and punctuates its set pieces with stage-setting intrigues that keep it motoring.
[Eva Green] s the single piece of spice that turns this 300 clone into a zestful, delightful bad movie instead of just a tedious, violence-loving slog.
[The story] gets constantly literally swamped by the blood and gore and so forth, which is well done but almost to the point of parody.
Audience Reviews for 300: Rise of an Empire
It's been years since I've walked out on a movie.
Although gloriously shot and produced the script is worthy of groaning.
But the bloodletting ... it's an orgy, a glorification of dehumanization.
Pass it by.
Super Reviewer
300 on the Sea!
Good Action/Bloody Film! We have here a film that focuses on another clan of Greek fighters battling against Xerxes' men, except this time it's on warships, so it's really '300 on the Sea'. The film is wall to wall action and you'll be enthralled. It's even more violent than the first. The bad thing is that the dialogue is really poor and the story not as riveting, engrossing and rousing as the first. Say what you like but there's a lot of wonderful points in the first that is what has made it a cult favorite. If anything the flaws of this highlight just what was best in the old one. The lead ain't no patch on Gerald Butler and is outshone by Eva Green as the temptress Persian battle queen. In fairness to our new lead, he is purposely more human than the old King Leonidas, and is a great warrior without the Spartan attitude. Yet that misses out what was quite a strong point of the previous film. For me as a fan of the original, it was fair enough but not in the same league as the first.
After its victory over Leonidas' 300, the Persian Army under the command of Xerxes marches towards the major Greek city-states. The Democratic city of Athens, first on the path of Xerxes' army, bases its strength on its fleet, led by admiral Themistocles. Themistocles is forced to an unwilling alliance with the traditional rival of Athens, oligarchic Sparta whose might lies with its superior infantry troops. But Xerxes still reigns supreme in numbers over sea and land.
Super Reviewer
This highly anticipated film feels more like an obligatory exercise in repeating the style of the original without anything that made the first one a worthwhile movie-going experience, rather than a full-fledged sequel. We waited 7 years and this is all we get? The movie lacks the charisma of Gerard Butler's breakout performance and replaces him with a boring character that is not interesting at all. The most interesting character belongs to the villain played by Eva Green, but being a villain, she isn't fleshed out as much as the others. This film looks and feels like the original, but it never carves out its own identity. The filmmakers were perfectly content recycling material. Even the speeches feel forced and obligatory, rather than a part of the actual film. It's a shame that so much promise was wasted on this, but Rise of an Empire is not worth watching even for the bloody action. Even that was fairly boring.
MoreSuper Reviewer
A highly entertaining and bloody exhilarating action-packed epic. It's loaded with buckets upon buckets of blood that make most epics or fighting video games envious. It's much better than the first film, which i always thought was massive macho-porn that was over stylized and exaggerated but for some reason I didn't get that feeling with this movie. It had some more depth with its characters and was more visually beautiful and exciting and has some terrific tie in's with the first film. Director, Noam Murro crafts a dazzling and spectacular action-adventure. A bloody explosive thrill-machine from start to finish. It's an insanely bloody great time at the movies for those that love their action brutal and their escapism crisp. Sullivan Stapleton gives a strong and fearless performance. Eva Green is ferociously awesome. She steals every scene shes in.
MoreSuper Reviewer
300: Rise of an Empire Quotes
- Artemisia:
- You fight much harder than you fuck.
- Gorgo:
- A king, fathers, brothers, sons. What more would you have us give? You will have no more from us, Themistokles.
- Themistokles:
- I leave this with you. Avenge him.
- Gorgo:
- It is a wind of freedom! A wind of vengeance.
- Themistokles:
- There is only one rule in the heat of combat.
- Calisto:
- What's that?
- Themistokles:
- Don't get killed on the first day.
- Themistokles:
- You offered a freedom without consequence or responsibility!
- Artemisia:
- Have you come to accept?
- Themistokles:
- My answer is still no!
- Themistokles:
- I fight for the freedom of Greece.
- Artemisia:
- I fight for the destruction thereof.
Discussion Forum
Discuss 300: Rise of an Empire on our Movie forum!
