I’d love to see a course on human anatomy taught by these filmmakers. “So class first thing you need to know is the human body is basically one big water balloon filled with red syrup, any questions?”
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“300: Rise of an Empire” is the follow up to Zach Snyder’s 2006 ode to stylized violence “300”. We join the fictionalized take on the true battles of the Greco-Persian Wars as the Athenians and the Spartans try to stop the Persians after the ultimate defeat of Leonidas and the original 300. The film is once again based on a Frank Miller graphic novel with the emphasis again on the word graphic. Seriously, I’m pretty sure you could graduate from 8 years of medical school without seeing this much blood. But you know, it’s stylized and in slow motion, so it’s art, like some sort of big screen poetic plasma parade. Each stab or slice dancing across the screen like a beautiful blood ballet. Of course, if you’ve seen the first one, you kind of know what you are getting into here, as this one carries on that feel about as faithfully as possible, but how does it compare in other areas?
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Well, I like that this one gives a fuller sense of the context of the events from the first one and fills in so much of the back story of the era and characters. Even more than the first one, I feel like we are granted genuine motives and consequence for these participants in a way that benefits the story. As far as the best thing, I really liked the tactical exploration in each of the battles. Maybe that makes me more of a big picture guy, but I’m more intensely drawn to seeing overall plans come together than the brute force of the hand to hand combat. And since a good portion of this one takes place on the open water it offers some even more interesting maneuvering and masterminding, which I really loved. Plus I have to say, if you can get beyond the grotesqueness of the gore the art style really is pretty incredible, just as much so in the landscapes as the lacerations.
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Of course, that is a big thing to get past, and for many the graphic nature will be too difficult to survive. (Also, as a quick aside its not just the violence that is graphic, so head’s up on that). But the truth is when the adrenaline isn’t pumping, this movie can get really boring, really fast. In the original this was rectified with some rousing dialog and speech work by Gerard Butler. But here Sullivan Stapleton just doesn’t seem quite up to the task. If fact, during his big speech that’s supposed to rally his overmatched band of brothers, I found myself wondering if they were thinking to themselves, “Am I really going to die for this guy?” or if they were anything like me they were thinking “I wonder where I should buy milk on the way home?”
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At the end of the day, 300: Rise of an Empire turns out to be a pale comparison to the original. Though the feel is the same and the war strategy is interesting and beautiful, the brutal violence and lack of non battle momentum keep it from being anything special. I say it only musters a C+
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Thanks for checking out this Your Movie Friend review, stay tuned for this review’s “Best Ever” challenge here in bit but first, I’m going to put up some stuff you can click over in this area. If you’d like to subscribe, which I would much appreciate, you can do so by clicking the big gray subscribe button. Want to see more? You can click here to see a review for the only other new movie out this week the kids flick “Mr. Peabody and Sherman”, or click the eyes to check out a new live show I and some friends have been doing, called “The Critic, the Geek, and the Girl”. You can also Click the logo up here to go to yourmoviefriend.com where you can search by title for reviews. And finally this review’s “Best Ever” Challenge, where you name the best movie ever in a particular category and also try to identify my choice. This time lets do “the best extreme violence” movie ever”. Mine was directed by Mel Gibson… what, that doesn’t narrow it down enough? It was the one where the guy died a violent death so that others could have freedom… No? still need more? Too bad, pick one. Drop your own answer and a guess at mine in the comments and first person to guess mine gets a point! Thanks and don’t forget to subscribe!