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300: Rise of an Empire

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300: Rise of an Empire
Theatrical release poster
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNoam Murro
Screenplay byZack Snyder
Kurt Johnstad
Produced byGianni Nunnari
Mark Canton
Zack Snyder
Deborah Snyder
Bernie Goldmann
StarringSullivan Stapleton
Eva Green
Lena Headey
Hans Matheson
Rodrigo Santoro
CinematographySimon Duggan
Edited byWyatt Smith
David Brenner
Music byJunkie XL[2]
Production
companies
Legendary Pictures
Cruel and Unusual Films
Atmosphere Pictures
Hollywood Gang Productions
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
Running time
102 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$110 million[4]
Box office$236,406,898[4]

300: Rise of an Empire is a 2014 American fantasy war film directed by Noam Murro. It is a follow-up to the 2007 film 300, taking place before, during, and after the events of that film with a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Salamis.[7] It is based on the as-yet-unreleased Frank Miller graphic novel Xerxes. Zack Snyder, who directed and co-wrote the original film, acts as writer and producer on Rise of an Empire.

The cast includes Lena Headey, Rodrigo Santoro, David Wenham, Andrew Tiernan, Andrew Pleavin and Peter Mensah reprising their roles from the first film, alongside Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, and Jack O'Connell. It was released in 3D and IMAX 3D on March 7, 2014.[8][9] The composer for the film is Junkie XL.[10]

Plot

Queen Gorgo tells her men about the Battle of Marathon, in which King Darius I of Persia was killed by General Themistocles of Athens. Darius' son, Xerxes, witnesses his father's death, and is advised to not continue the war, since "only the gods could defeat the Greeks". Darius' naval commander, Artemisia, claims that Darius' last words were in fact a challenge and sends Xerxes on a journey through the desert. Xerxes finally reaches a cave and bathes in an otherworldly liquid, emerging as the "God-King". He returns to Persia and declares war on Greece.

As Xerxes' forces advance towards Thermopylae, Themistocles meets with the council and convinces them to provide him with a fleet to engage the Persians at sea. Themistocles then travels to Sparta to ask King Leonidas for help, but is informed by Dilios that Leonidas is consulting the Oracle, and Gorgo is reluctant to side with Athens. Themistocles later reunites with his old friend Scyllas, who infiltrated the Persian troops and learned Artemisia was born Greek, but defected to Persia as her family was raped and murdered by Greek hoplites and she was taken as a sex slave to the Greeks, who left her for dead in the streets. She was rescued and adopted by the Persians. Her lust for vengeance gained the attention of King Darius and he made her a naval commander after she killed many of his enemies.

Themistocles leads his men, which include Scyllas, Scyllas' son Calisto and Themistocles' right-hand man Aesyklos to the Aegean Sea. They ram their ships into the Persian ships and charge them, slaughtering several soldiers before retreating. The following day, the Greeks force one of the Persian ships into a crevice, where it becomes struck, and charge the other ships, killing more Persians. Impressed with Themistocles' skills, Artemisia has him brought onto her ship where they have sex as she tries to convince him to join the Persians as her second-in-command. He refuses, causing her to push him aside and swear revenge.

The Persians spill tar into the sea and send suicide bombers to swim to and board the Greek ships with their flame bombs. Artemisia and her men fire flaming arrows and torches to ignite the tar, but Themistocles manages to kill one of the soldiers, who falls into the tar carrying a torch, causing ships from both sides to explode. Themistocles is thrown into the sea by an explosion and nearly drowns before being rescued by Calisto, and stands by Scyllas' side as he succumbs to his injuries. Believing Themistocles to be dead, Artemisia and her forces withdraw.

Themistocles learns that Leonidas and the 300 have been killed by Xerxes and returns to Athens to confront Ephialtes, the deformed Spartan traitor, who reveals that Xerxes plans to attack Athens, and is regretful of his actions, welcoming death. Themistocles spares him instead, so he can warn Xerxes that the Greek forces are gathering at Salamis, and then visits Gorgo in Sparta while she is mourning Leonidas to ask for her help, but she is too overcome with grief. Before leaving, Themistocles returns Leonidas' sword, which he took from Ephialtes, that had earlier stolen it, and urges Gorgo to avenge Leonidas.

In Athens, Xerxes' army is laying waste when Ephialtes arrives to deliver Themistocles' message. Upon learning he is alive, Artemisia leaves to ready her troops for battle, against Xerxes' wishes. The Greek ships crash into the Persians ships, and the two armies battle, beginning the decisive Battle of Salamis. Themistocles and Artemisia fight, and Themistocles overpowers her.

Gorgo had been narrating the tale to her Spartan army, and leads them to assist in the battle alongside other allied Greeks, outnumbering the Persians. Themistocles urges Artemisia to surrender, but she tries to kill him and is stabbed through the stomach. With her dying breath, she sees Xerxes turning his back on her as he retreats. Themistocles and Gorgo take a moment to silently acknowledge one another's alliance as the rest of Artemisia's army charges. The two then charge at the opposing Persians with the rest of the Spartans behind them.

Cast

Production

In June 2008, producers Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, and Bernie Goldmann revealed that work had begun on a sequel to 300.[15] Legendary Pictures announced that Frank Miller, who wrote the 1998 comic book limited series on which the film 300 was based, was writing a follow-up graphic novel, and Zack Snyder, co-screenwriter and director of 300, was interested in directing the adaptation, but instead chose to develop and direct the Superman reboot Man of Steel.[16][17] Noam Murro directed instead, while Snyder produced. The film was centered on the Greek leader Themistocles, portrayed by Australian actor Sullivan Stapleton.[18]

During pre-production, the film was titled 300: Battle of Artemisium (although this was widely misreported as "Battle of Artemisia");[19] the film was retitled 300: Rise of an Empire in September 2012.[20]

Principal photography commenced in early July 2012 at the Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria.[21] On May 10, 2013, it was announced the film's release date would be pushed back from August 2, 2013, until March 7, 2014.[8]

Reception

Critical reception

300: Rise of an Empire received mixed reviews from critics. On film aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 42% rating, with an average critics score of 4.9/10, based on reviews from 136 critics. The site's consensus states: "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."[22] On another aggregation website Metacritic, it has a 47/100 score (indicating "mixed or average reviews"), based on reviews from 30 critics.[23]

Todd Gilchrist of The Wrap gave the film a negative review, saying "Rise of an Empire lacks director Snyder's shrewd deconstruction of cartoonish hagiography, undermining the glorious, robust escapism of testosterone-fueled historical reenactment with an underdog story that's almost too reflective to be rousing."[24] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review, saying "Although Gerard Butler's star has significantly fallen due to the 17 mediocre films he's made since 300, it must be admitted that he's missed here."[25] Scott Foundas of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying "This highly entertaining time-filler lacks the mythic resonances that made 300 feel like an instant classic, but works surprisingly well on its own terms."[14] Guy Lodge of Time Out gave the film three out of five stars, saying "It's flesh and carnage that the audience is here to see, and Murro delivers it by the glistening ton, pausing only for stray bits of backstory."[26] Kyle Smith of the New York Post gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "The film works as a high-tech boy-fantasy successor to Conan the Barbarian."[27] Soren Anderson of The Seattle Times gave the film three out of five stars, saying "Rise of an Empire is not great by any stretch of the imagination, but it's very impressive in its single-minded dedication to creating a moviegoing experience designed to totally engulf its audience."[28] Richard Roeper gave the film four and a half stars out of five, calling the film "A triumph of production design, costumes, brilliantly choreographed battle sequences and stunning CGI."[29] James Rocchi of Film.com gave the film a zero out of ten, saying "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."[30]

James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "The lack of a creative driver behind the film leads to a level of fundamental dissatisfaction. The movie delivers all the necessary elements but their impact is dull."[31] Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News gave the film one out of five stars, saying "The film winds up looking like an ashen video game. It's even more muddy in IMAX and 3-D."[32] Colin Covert of the Star Tribune gave the film two out of four stars, saying "300: Rise of an Empire plays like a collaboration between the Marquis de Sade and Michael Bay. Or maybe the History Channel and the Saw franchise."[33] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post gave the film one out of four stars, saying "Rise of an Empire is no fun at all - even those famous six-pack abs from 300 seem to be missing a can or two in this desperate attempt to up an already dubious ante."[34] Drew Hunt of the Chicago Reader gave the film a negative review, saying "The slow-motion battle scenes are technically impressive and occasionally elegant, but there's enough machismo here to choke a thousand NFL locker rooms."[35] Ty Burr of The Boston Globe gave the film a positive review, saying "Rise of an Empire may strike some as an improvement on the first film, if only for two reasons: naval warfare and the glorious absurdity of Eva Green."[36] Scott Bowles of USA Today gave the film two out of four stars, saying "For anyone looking for a sense of script (forget plausibility), Empire is a Trojan horse."[37]

Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, saying "The spectacularly brutal fighting is the film's main calling card, and in that Rise of an Empire doesn't disappoint."[38] Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times gave the film a mixed review, saying "The naval collisions and melees play out in panel-like renderings that are bold and satisfying for the first half-hour but lack the momentum and bombastic je ne sais quoi of 300."[39] David Hiltbrand of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "With its slo-mo ultraviolence, gushers of blood, impressive 3-D effects, homoerotic subtext, and self-important plot, this is a fan boy's fantasy, a four-star wonderment."[40] Tom Long of The Detroit News gave the film a D, saying "300: Rise of an Empire is a bloodbath and not much else."[41] Adam Nayman of The Globe and Mail gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying "An extension of the 300 universe, like an add-on content pack for a video game."[42] Mark Jenkins of NPR gave the film a negative review, saying "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."[43] Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying "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."[44]

Box office

As of March 12, 2014, 300: Rise of an Empire has grossed $53,129,021 in North America, and $87,800,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $140,929,021.[4] In North America, the film opened to number one in its first weekend, with $45,038,460.[45]

Historical accuracy

Paul Cartledge, a professor of Greek culture at Cambridge University, noted that the film contains historical errors. For example, Darius was not killed as depicted as neither Xerxes nor Darius were present at the Battle of Marathon. Artemisia did not command the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis. She in reality argued against sailing into the straits and survived the Persian Wars. The Spartan navy contributed a mere 16 warships to the Greek fleet in the ending battle scene, and not a huge army.[46]

Sequel

Producer Mark Canton hopes to release a sequel soon .[47]

See also

References

  1. ^ Johns, Nikara (March 5, 2014). "'Unapologetic,' 'Strong' Female Leads Praised at '300: Rise of an Empire' Premiere". Variety. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  2. ^ "Junkie XL score composer for 300: Rise of an Empire". 300themovie.com. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  3. ^ "300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (15)". Warner Bros. British Board of Film Classification. January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c "300: Rise of An Empire (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  5. ^ Schaefer, Sandy. "First Look At '300′ Prequel Comic Book". ScreenRant. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  6. ^ Sitterson, Aubrey. "Comic-Con 2011: Xerxes Is Now 300: Battle of Artemisia". UGO Networks. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  7. ^ "Rodrigo Santoro Back For 300 Sequel?". Empireonline.com. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  8. ^ a b "300: Rise of an Empire and All You Need is Kill Pushed Back". ComingSoon.
  9. ^ "IMAX and Warner Bros. Partner to Bring 20 New Pictures to IMAX® Theatres". IMAX. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  10. ^ "Junkie XL Scoring '300: Rise of an Empire'". Filmmusicreporter.com. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  11. ^ "New Behind The Scenes Photos And Info On 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE". Comicbookmovie.com. January 6, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  12. ^ "synopsis". 300themovie.com. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  13. ^ "IMDb Pro : 300: Rise of an Empire Business Details". Pro.imdb.com. July 27, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  14. ^ a b Scott Foundas Chief Film Critic @foundasonfilm (March 3, 2014). "'300: Rise of an Empire' Review: Eva Green Stars in Entertaining Sequel". Variety. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  15. ^ Frosty (June 25, 2008). "Producers Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari and Bernie Goldmann Exclusive Video Interview". Collider.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Diane Garrett (June 29, 2008). "New 300 rallies troops". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved June 30, 2008. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Mike Fleming (June 27, 2011). "'Xerxes' Pic Down To Noam Murro And Jaume Collett-Serra For '300' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  18. ^ "'300' The Prequel: Meet The New Xerxes". Moviepilot.com. February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  19. ^ "300 Follow-Up Gets Official Title | Movie News | Empire". Empireonline.com. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  20. ^ Kit, Borys (September 13, 2012). "Warner Bros. Gives '300' Sequel a New Title". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  21. ^ "A James Bond girl arrives in Bulgaria". EuroPost. July 13, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  22. ^ "300: Rise of an Empire (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  23. ^ "300: Rise of an Empire". Metacritic. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  24. ^ "'300: Rise of An Empire' Review: More of the Same, But Slightly Less". TheWrap. March 3, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  25. ^ "300: Rise of an Empire: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. March 3, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  26. ^ Author: Guy Lodge. "300: Rise of an Empire | review, synopsis, book tickets, showtimes, movie release date | Time Out London". Timeout.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  27. ^ Smith, Kyle (February 26, 2014). "March into battle with '300: Rise of an Empire' | New York Post". Nypost.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  28. ^ Andersen, Soren. "'300: Rise of an Empire': This violent sequel means war | Entertainment". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  29. ^ "300: Rise of an Empire" Review". RichardRoeper.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  30. ^ The 100 Best Movie Scenes of 2013. "Review: '300: Rise Of An Empire'". Film.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ "Reelviews Movie Reviews". Reelviews.net. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  32. ^ "'300: Rise of an Empire,' movie review". NY Daily News. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  33. ^ Warner Bros. "Sequel to '300': In your face, Themistokles!". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  34. ^ Post Store. "'300: Rise of an Empire' movie review: Sequel is no fun at all". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  35. ^ Hunt, Drew. "300: Rise of an Empire | Chicago". Chicagoreader.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  36. ^ Burr, Ty. "'300' takes a sidetrip, in 3-D - Movies". Boston.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  37. ^ "'300' sequel amps up blood, tamps down believability". Usatoday.com. February 18, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  38. ^ Sharkey, Betsy. "Review: '300: Rise of an Empire' looks great but is weak in plot". latimes.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  39. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/07/movies/in-300-rise-of-an-empire-greeks-under-siege-again.html?smid=tw-nytmovies&seid=auto&_r=0
  40. ^ David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic (October 22, 2012). "The Athenians are coming! The Athenians are coming!". Philly.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  41. ^ "Review: '300: Rise of an Empire' celebrates excessive, pointless violence". The Detroit News. March 3, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  42. ^ Adam Nayman. "300: Rise of an Empire: A brutal campaign with an Xbox aesthetic". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  43. ^ Jenkins, Mark. "Movie Review - '300: Rise Of An Empire' - Gore, Glamour, And A Goth Warrior Maiden". NPR. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  44. ^ "'300: Rise of an Empire' review: It's Greek to me". NJ.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  45. ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for March 7-9, 2014". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  46. ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-26484784
  47. ^ Producer Mark Canton Talks 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE, the Sex Scene, POWER, THE LAST WITCH HUNTER with Vin Diesel, an IMMORTALS Sequel, and More
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