300: Rise of an Empire

Told in the same distinctive visual style as Zack Snyder's 300, this contiguous saga pits Greek general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) against attacking Persian forces who are ruled by glistening god-like King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro)—son/heir to King Darius—and led by his naval commander, cunning and vengeful Artemisia (Eva Green). Even fans of 300, however, may find the timeline a bit confusing, since the action occurs during and after the fall of Spartan King Leonidas at Thermopylae. As the Athenian politician who earnestly believes in democracy, Themistocles attempts to unite the disparate Greek city-states to fight together against the Persian invaders, but he runs into major opposition from Spartan Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), who also serves as the storyteller. Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel Xerxes, filmmaker Noam Murro's 300: Rise of an Empire is loaded with excessive amounts of blood splattering (in slow-motion, naturally). According to Hellenistic historian Herodotus, Xerxes and Artemesia did exist, although Xerxes' origin story and the details of the pair's relationship have been fictionalized, along with Artemesia's sex-and-violence interlude with Themistocles aboard her barge. While Stapleton propels the plot, sensuous Green's ferocious villainess steals the show. A stylized action fantasy filled with brutal naval battles and brimming with grisly gore, this is an optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “The 300 Effect” series of behind-the-scenes featurettes including “3 Days in Hell,” “Brutal Artistry,” “A New Breed of Hero,” and “Taking the Battle to the Sea” (31 min. total), the production segments “Real Leaders & Legends” (23 min.), “Woman Warriors” (12 min.), “Savage Warships” (11 min.), and “Becoming a Warrior” (5 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)