ENT3RTAIN ME REVIEW: 300 RISE OF AN EMPIRE ... Quite Possibly Better Than The Original!

 

  We all remember the Zack Snyder epic movie 300, based on the bestselling graphic novel by Frank Miller. It launched the careers of both Snyder and the lead actor, Gerard Butler. It was the first time we saw a movie that was almost only CGI. So when the news came of a sequel, I basically wrote it off as probably a second rate effort after a good first movie. I was wrong!   The movie continues the same approach and style which we became familiar with in the original movie and it creates a nice feeling of continuity even showing us how the first movie ended. 300: Rise of an Empire is, by rights, a prequel as well as a sequel to 300 as the story begins long before and ends long after the events depicted in 300.   I found myself glued to the screen from the start to the end as the movie played through its runtime. It has enough action and awe to hold one's attention and that is always a plus for any big cinematic release. I also pondered on what parts of the story was historically accurate and honestly, if all history was made this exciting we'd all be experts. The story is so captivating that all the CGI environments play second to the actions, words and story in the movie.   I recommend this movie to not just the lovers of historical drama but fans of rough and tough cinema as well as just plain old popcorn movies.   MOVIE PLOT Queen Gorgo of Sparta 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, charge them, slaughtering several soldiers before retreating from the sinking Persian ships. The following day, the Greeks feign a retreat and lead a group of Persian ships into a crevice, where they become stuck. The Greeks charge the Persian ships from the cliffs above and kill more Persians. Impressed with Themistocles' skills, Artemisia brings him onto her ship where she attempts to use sex to seduce 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, who 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, which ends in a stalemate with both receiving injuries.
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 with Dilios beginning to attack them. The three then charge at the opposing Persians with the rest of the Spartans behind them
  MOVIE TRAILER

  MOVIE BABE