This sequel gives punters more than the first movie, but more does not necessarily mean better.
300: Rise of an Empire is both a prequel and sequel to the 2006 swords and sandals action fantasy which made Gerard Butler a star and helped director Zack Snyder get his hands on the poisoned chalice that was the Superman reboot, Man of Steel, last year.
The original had the virtue of being unlike almost anything seen before, a graphic novel brought to cinematic life with graphic violence to match.
The legendary noble defeat of the freedom-fighting Spartans by overwhelming Persian odds in 480BC is where Rise of an Empire comes in.
Athenian general Themistokles (Stapleton) leads a similarly rag-tag bunch of earnest proto-democracy soldiers against the massive Persian navy on the Aegean, led by self-proclaimed god-king Xerxes (Santoro) and Artemisia (Green), the pout that launched a thousand ships.
Israeli director Murro gives the audience exactly what they expect - almost relentless epic battle scenes from his digital paintbox.
Brutal piercings, hackings and decapitations, sometimes in slow-motion so we don't miss anything, and now in 3-D.
Stapleton is hindered in the hero stakes by playing a second-banana character who comes up short in the eyes of his enemies and the audience.
Rooting for villainess Green becomes an attractive alternative and the former Bond woman would be chewing the scenery, if there was any.
300: Rise of an Empire (MA15+)
Starring: Sullivan Stapleton (Gangster Squad), Rodrigo Santoro (The Last Stand), Eva Green (Dark Shadows).
Director: Noam Murro (Smart People).
Screening: Reading Cinemas, Queenstown - visit www.readingcinemas.co.nz for times.
Two stars (out of five)
