Synopsis
Greek general Themistocles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. Themistocles faces the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god, Xerxes and Artemesia, the vengeful commander of the Persian navy.
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Cast
- Sullivan StapletonThemistocles
- Eva GreenArtemisia
- Lena HeadeyQueen Gorgo
- Callan MulveyScylias
- David WenhamDillios
- Rodrigo SantoroXerxes
- Jack O'ConnellCalisto
- Andrew TiernanEphialtes
- Ashraf BarhomGeneral Bandari
- Andrew PleavinDaxos
Recommendations
- 78
Austin Chronicle
While very much a “hard R” movie, Rise of an Empire is, nevertheless, the perfect sort of film for rainy weekend afternoons. It’s a spectacle right down to its shattered ships and duplicitous warcraft, and this time out the story’s been leavened and enlivened with plenty of old-school girl power. - 75
Entertainment Weekly
The film belongs to Green — maybe the only actress ever to "graduate" from being a Bertolucci muse to a bloodthirsty action-flick dominatrix. - 70
Variety
Anchored by Eva Green’s fearsome performance as a Persian naval commander whose vengeful bloodlust makes glowering King Xerxes seem a mere poseur, 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. - 70
Village Voice
Rise of an Empire might have been essentially more of the same, but for one distinction that makes it 300 times better than its predecessor: Mere mortals of Athens, Sparta, and every city from Mumbai to Minneapolis, behold the magnificent Eva Green, and tremble! - 63
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
The design... is stunning, an improvement over 2006′s “300.” And the action never disappoints. It’s a pity this colorless cast doesn’t hold a candle to the Butler/Headey/Michael Fassbender/David Wenham crew of the original, that the writers couldn’t conjure up thrilling speeches to match the original. - 63
New York Post
Green rules the picture with her nutty stare and her willingness to get nasty in a hot sex scene, but the movie’s main weak point is the Greek general Themistokles. - 60
Time Out London
It’s all extravagantly daft, moves at a fair clip and is over before you expect it to be. - 60
Total Film
Just as bloody yet much more conventional, 300 #2 offers splashy thrills aplenty but fails to make a watertight case for its own existence. Green, however, ensures it stays afloat.
