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Reviews
300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
Wasn't Worth the Hype (Save Your Money)
I was thrilled to hear the sequel was finally out. I was a bit thrown off that the original director, Zack Snyder, wasn't going to be a part of this one, since that particular style seemed to fit the movie.
It brings to question: Can an imitation ever be as good as the original?
Where 300 focused on Sparta's charge against the Persians, 300: Rise of an Empire turns its attention to the Greek general Themistokles.
The action in the first few minutes had me right away. Then as the movie progressed, the grip on me loosened and by the time it got to the biggest fight scene of the movie, I was drowning like some of the ones who got killed in the battle.
Major killjoys:
Ahem, where did the plot go?: In 300, the plot of the movie was stated and stayed in focus amidst the bloodshed. In 300: Rise of an Empire, it is stated but seems to go all over the place and just never takes off the ground. The action packed sequences felt like an attempt to cover up the lack of plot development, but those who are fans of the total package noticed this flaw right away. Guess which category I fall under?
Loving the villain more than the hero: In this movie, I found myself sympathizing for Xerxes but more so for Artemisia. I loved her character. She's a bad ass. Her whole makeup (and I'm not talking about just on the face) was just wonderful. Wait, but she's not the hero! She's the villain. Themistokles is the hero, yet I feel nothing for him.
If imitation is flattery, it's flattery done badly: I get it! In the absence of plot, put in more gory action. That was the formula used here. The director tried to imitate the style of his predecessor, and it just looked forced. Even the blood splatter timing seems misplaced and thrown off—damn near unrealistic.
The action and the performances of Eva Green (Artemisia) and Lena Headey (Queen Gorgo) saved this from being a 1 star. Whereas the first 300 was worth the cost of a ticket, save your money for the DVD with this sequel. The actors did the best they could with what was given, but no amount of great acting in the world can salvage a poorly drawn out plot and directorial feats gone sour.
Exit Strategy (2012)
Laughability vs. Absurdity-Who Wins Out?
There were quite a few scenes in this that made me laugh. I could identify with the awkwardness of sharing space, especially when you've grown accustomed to living on your own. I think it is definitely tougher on a guy to adjust to living with a female.
The scenes that stuck out the most were the following:
1. Kim (the girlfriend)decided to use James' hand as the sink while she was brushing her teeth. 2. Kim wanted James' to take out the trash, even though there was only a paper towel and a banana in the trash can 3. The absolutely worst proposal ever that was still accepted. 4. The mannequin head guy scene: simply because it was so absurd and featured Kevin Hart
However, there were a few things that were touched on that I wanted to see some type of closure on but it never quite came to fruition.
Loose ends (or things that make you go Hmm): 1. Why exactly did James get evicted? It looked like he was still employed. They kept hinting he was spending all of his money to impress his girlfriend, but it still didn't quite add up to me. 2. What was the deal with the baseball card? There was this guy that kept coming in the store wanting to buy it, but James refused to sell it. Even after the guy volunteered his services to help James out of his situation, we still don't know whether James decided to let go of the baseball card. 3. After the guy Leona was dating gave a big speech to James about "age ain't nothing but a number" (aka defending their relationship), the guy turns around and breaks up with Leona not too long after he and James have the conversation. 4. The scene where James kissed Leona: just seemed very awkward and forced. Especially when Carville and Kim try to become part of the kiss scene. 5. Did Big Boy really have to be sprinkled all through the movie? I could understand maybe here and there, but on some parts, it just really didn't make sense. 6. After seeing Kim's erratic behavior, why would James still want to sleep on her couch? In some cases, it's just better to be homeless or better yet, sleep in the back room of the Stuff Shop.
Is this a movie that will make you laugh? Yes.
Is this a movie you can look at and can relate to, as it pertains to relationship dynamics and living situations? Yes, particularly if the relationship is new.
The comedy of this actually saved the rating from being much lower.
Is this a movie I would spend money on? No, I actually wouldn't. The comedic bits aren't enough to bypass the absurdity of some parts and the non-essential nature of other parts. I would not have watched this in the theater. It's highly unlikely I would even purchase the DVD.
One's best bet is to do what I did and just look at it on instant stream on Netflix.