“300 Rise Of An Empire” Movie Review: Visually Stunning Violence But Lacks Impact Of The First; Eva Green Steals The Show!

The verdict is out on the sequel "300: Rise of An Empire." While Snyder is only the producer, his fingerprints are all over the movie-which is a good thing.

Most critics say "300: Rise Of An Empire" delivers what people loved about the original "300." The visual style of Snyder is there, even if he passed the reins to Noam Murro. The violence and the fight scenes are spectacular. However, there is still something missing.

From Variety: "'Rise of an Empire' never quite shakes the sense that we're watching an undercard bout while Leonidas is off fighting for the title, and how could it not? Under Themistokles' command, these Athenians are an altogether more civilized lot than their neighbors to the south, lacking the suicidal fire in their bellies that drove the Spartans to seek their so-called 'beautiful deaths.'"

Indeed, while "300" had fans screaming "This is Sparta" even years after the watching it, there is none of that impact here. The idea that 300 of the finest warriors went to battle and died, we can't help but think that we are watching the multitude of leftovers.

From The Wrap: "(Murro) matches Snyder's sense of bloody camp blow for cringe-inducing blow, expanding the first film's meat-and-potatoes combination of sex and violence into a full-blown smorgasboard, thanks to an ass-kicking centerpiece sex scene between Themistocles and Artemisia that's sort of hilariously "empowering" as a portrait of two equals competing to show who possesses more testosterone."

Speaking of Artemisia, played by Eva Green, it is pointed out that she is not the hero of the movie, but she is, by far, its star.

From Digital Spy: "Most notable is Eva Green's bat-s**t mad Artemisia, a villainess who chews the scenery so emphatically that there'd be teeth marks on the sets if they weren't all digital. She also gets one of the film's best lines: 'You fight harder than you f**k' - the product of a loopy power-play sex scene."

It is a fitting primer for Green's next role in "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For" where she plays the dame to kill for. But she does most of the killing by herself in this movie.

Thus, the description for "300: Rise of An Empire" was 'uninspired' and 'lacking mythical resonance.' Fans of 300 will come and watch, and they won't be disappointed with the blood, gore and Eva Green, but they probably won't remember it like the first one.