By Ryan Horan
Contributing Writer
In yet another example of a studio trying to milk more money from a successful past film, I give you “300: Rise of an Empire.” The movie, a sequel to the 2006 hit “300,” hit theaters Friday, March 7.
The sad thing about the situation is the tactic is working since the film earned $45 million at the box office in its first weekend. While “Rise of an Empire” has a long way to go before matching the amount of money the original earned at $450 million, it is still ridiculous to make a second movie when the first did well on its own.
The film is missing much of the good the original film had. Zack Snyder, the first film’s director, didn’t return to film the sequel. He was replaced by the fairly unknown director Noam Murro. The movie is also missing the star of the original – Gerard Butler. The film also lacks originality. Its plot is almost identical to the first. Both films dealt with a group of Greek soldiers fighting against a far superior Persian army.
There are only two positives in this movie. Eva Green, who plays the villain Artemisia, did a wonderful job. Her performance was the only bit of good acting in the film besides the stunt work. The other positive is the action. Visually, the movie was great. Beautifully choreographed fighting scenes keep the audience glued to the screen.
But the first thought that came to my mind when I heard about the new “300” film was the series of sequels to the 1960 film “Psycho.” “Psycho” was so popular that it led to the production of three movies after that were of much lower quality than the original. Alfred Hitchcock (the director of the original) didn’t direct the sequels, much like how “300” director Zack Snyder didn’t direct “Rise of an Empire.” The director is the heart of a movie, and when you switch directors, the film just isn’t the same.
The film lacks content. The only entertainment is the violence. It is filled with action and blood, but it leaves much to be desired on character and plot. The popularity of films like this take away from well-made, well-written films.
“12 Years a Slave,” winner of the Oscar for best picture, has been in theaters since October 2013 and has only made about $8 million more than “Rise of an Empire.” It’s a shame that audiences would rather fund a substanceless film rather than one that can be enjoyed and considered excellent.
“300: Rise of an Empire” is more of a film for action fans or fans of the original “300.” With many action options in theaters now like “Non-Stop” or “3 Days to Kill,” “Rise of an Empire” is probably the best of the bunch. Its action is visually wonderful; it’s almost a work of art. If you are looking for a beautiful action movie that will get your adrenaline pumping and have you day-dreaming of being a warrior then look no further.
But if you are a film buff and are looking for something Oscar quality, choose something else.
horanhj13@bonaventure.edu
