Athenian general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) kills the Persian king with a single arrow from afar during the Battle of Marathon, but the second Persian invasion is led by the ruthless and vengeful commander Artemisia (Eva Green). The sequel to 300 (2007), depicting events before, during and after the first film’s Battle of Thermopylae, but from different perspectives, is just as stylish and cartoonish, this time in 3D. Green is an impressive foe for Stapleton’s cardboard hero, but the slaughtering becomes ridiculously repetitive.
2014-U.S. 102 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Noam Murro. Screenplay: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad. Graphic Novel: Frank Miller (“Xerxes”). Cast: Sullivan Stapleton (Themistocles), Eva Green (Artemisia), Lena Headey (Queen Gorgo), Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, David Wenham… Jack O’Connell.
Trivia: Co-produced by Snyder. Joel Edgerton was allegedly considered for the lead. At the time of the film’s release, Miller’s graphic novel had yet to be published.
