300 Rise Of A Companion Movie

   300 left a lot of people wanting more. It's visual style put Zack Snyder on the map and it is still one of the coolest looking movies of the last 10 years. 300 Rise of an Empire follows suite visually and takes us back to ancient Greece. The film isn't a sequel in the true sense. The majority of the story actually takes place during the events of 300. We get glimpses of Leonidas and are reintroduced to a few familiar faces.

      The Persian Army under the command of Xerxes marches towards Greece. While Leonidas and his 300 Spartans stand against him, another war is waged on the sea. The Democratic city of Athens, has a powerful navy, led by admiral Themistocles. Themistocles is forced to an unwilling alliance with the rival Spartans in hopes to defeat the vast Persian Army. Politics, a fractured land, and a daunting Persian commander threaten the fates of the world.

     Gerard Butler is replaced by Sulivan Stapelton, who most will not recognize. He is Themistocles and he dreams of a united Greece. His army is small, but like the 300, determined. Much of the war is fought on sea. The fight scenes are beautiful. Ballet and visual elegance. The naval battles are impressive and the way they weave together with the original story is nearly flawless. Themistocles isn't as brash as Leonidas, but he is a smart leader. He is battle tested and it is a shame we don't see them both fight side by side.

  Despite what you think, this story is about Artemesia. She is a former Greek and commander of the Persian fleet. She is cold, calculating, and responsible for Xerxes rise to power. She is the right balance of evil and like able. While Eva Green is getting older, she is aging like a fine wine. She has a commanding presence and looks great on screen.

  We do see a glimpse of how the god king is created, but this isn't really his story. He is the cause of the united Greece, but he doesn't see the majority of villain time. He looks as good as in 300, but he doesn't see much of the action in this go round.  The movie looks fantastic. The battles are fun to watch and it leaves you wanting more. Which is good because the stage is set for the inevitable third chapter.  I liked the first film better, but this is a nice compliment to the story. I would call it a sequel. It is definitely a companion.