Escape to the Movies: 300: Rise of an Empire

[Baresark]

300.. the movie that everyone hates well after the fact. Forget the fact that the movie was critically acclaimed, now that time has passed it's safe to hate on it. I love how Bob goes out of his way to read into a movie that is essentially a simple movie. He talks as if the battle in the movie (what is essentially the movie) was unnecessary and the protagonist was dumb for having involved himself, despite the fact that the movie explains why his people were not told to defend themselves by a corrupt politician. That said, I don't know if I'll bother with this while it's in theatres. I'm sure it's fine movie, but a movie like this you have to be in the mood for. I also feel that I have seen enough Zach Snyder films to never want to see that obnoxious screen filtering he uses again. Let alone someone who copies it. I also don't feel 300 needed a sequel.

So far as Frank Miller is concerned.. that guy has a famously low opinion of just about everything. That said, he has written some fine comics that undeniably good, and yes, 300 is among them. I once dated a girl who worked in the industry. She went to some sort of after party based around his success as a comic writer and then silver screen writer. He was a drunk asshole who thought he was gonna get laid by her the entire night, hanging on her... she was pretty disgusted by the whole affair. Proving once and for all that he is a shitty human being. That said, he is also a good writer, so stop hating on that just because he is an asshole.

 

[V4Viewtiful]

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I think I'm sick of the Arkham franchise. Of course Asylum was amazing and City was an immense improvement, and obviously Origins was hampered by its development team, but it looks like the franchise is completely stuck in its rut of "Play as Batman in a Free-Roam Environment with extra playable characters in the challenge maps". What is actually stopping them from making allowing you to freeroam as Robin / Nightwing / Batgirl? Why not have the campaign (or at least sections of it) playable as other characters? I mean, I get that "Batman is always specially awesome solo" or whatever, but a lot of the interesting Batman mythos is dealing with the Bat-Family. And why not take a break from Batman and make a damn Superman game already, Rocksteady?

A Nightwing Game in Bludhaven would be fantastic

 

[Metalrocks]

hmmm. looks like its worth a watch after all. dint like 300 because of this macho muscular crap. well, still can think about it since renting is hard for me since the only shop near by only rents movies for only a day.

 

[Camaranth]

A friend of mine has kept asking me to go see this, I've agreed to go this weekend expecting nothing more than epic fight scenes and beautiful choreography (Also getting to see Cersie Lannister actually do something useful) but to hear that this is all that and more, including a kick-ass female villain is even better! Now I'm actually a little excited to see it!

 

[Pseudonym]

Does the film still look like some guy is pressing the slow down, speed up button at random roughly every five seconds?

 

[Nurb]

I don't understand the difference here; If I remember right, Bob has been critical of female characters with sexualized aspects if they're in supporting roles, but if a lead role uses overt sexuality it's OK?

Bob used "misogany" as part of his criticism of Hansel and Gretal: Witch hunters because they have brutal fights with powerful (female) witches who ultimate lose because they're evil witches, but here, the lead female role is doling out the attacks on the film's "good guys" which includes using her sexuality and it's absolutely amazing.

 

[Makabriel]

So, correct me if I'm wrong.. This is the first "thumbs up" Bob has given a movie in quite a while? A couple of months maybe? At least I don't remember a positive review in a while..

Did anyone else look at this and have the thought "THAT is what Wonder Woman is supposed to look like!!!" Not some twig like super model. That! With the fiery personality. The armor. the swords. Why WB oh why did you not look in house and see this?

Agreed! My initial thoughts were "When is Marvel going to pick her up?"

 

[lord canti]

So Bob criticises 300 for what it is but in the same breath says it achieved it's aims perfectly. Would that not make it a success on top of the fact it was a commercial success and pretty well remembered. If it has not got some deep message imagined or otherwise for him to pontificate on I guess it sucks eh? Just being a good action movie is far too low brow I suppose.

Also in what way does this movie broach the effect of these events on the development of modern civilisation? It really doesn't I just watched it two hours ago. Also the sacrifice of Leonidas is more idealised in this movie and is not just viewed as a tool to manipulate the remaining Spartans to help. Themistocles position doesn't change before or after Leonidas' death. The most surprising part of the review though, is definitely the praise showered on Greens character, I really thought you would slaughter her blatant use of sexuality to achieve her ends. I don't see why you find that ok in this case? Me personally I think it's just fine but I am of the unpopular opinion that confident woman can use their sexuality to their advantage and the only people who seem to have a problem with that are women who don't share said confidence or guys who feel intimidated. And while we are on the topic of uncommon opinions I don't know when we started equating macho with automatically stupid.

Again reading more into the plot than I think was intended. But I suppose you have to fill six minutes somehow.

it's different because Bob likes this movie. As much as I enjoy his stuff, Bob is one of the most bias reviewers I've ever seen.

 

[daxterx2005]

So the dinobots are going to make you watch this mess huh?

 

[Grabehn]

I liked the first movie a lot, and I always thought it was incredibly funny to see people complaining about the "realism" of the event's depiction while ignoring that it was based on a comic rather than on the story itself.

But I just can't seem to find it in me to go and watch this one on theaters, there's just something about it that just doesn't do it for me.

 

[MB202]

OMG, Punch-Out!! and Zombies Ate My Neighbors references in the middle there! Usually, Bob goes all-out with the craziness in these reviews when he has a lot to say about something, and at just barely going over 6 minutes, I guess Bob really DID have a lot to say about this movie. So much so I might have to watch the review again to fully get what he's saying.

Also, lol at the Batman thing at the end!

 

[Barciad]

Seems very interesting if only because it?s a movie about a war that isn?t world war 2, serious Hollywood why aren?t there more Punic war movies? Extra credits made it awesome only using pictures and a guy talking.

That's because they were incredible. Though Vin Diesel may have not been the best man to play Hannibal, I give him credit for at least trying. As with Bonaparte, there is the potential for a great film in there somewhere.

 

[John Nitsolas]

Anchient Spartans == NOT good people!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crypteia

 

[Dragonlayer]

I did a huge chunk of my history course last semester on Salamis, so it's definitely going to be fun watching Rise of an Empire and remodeling my mental image of Themistocles (even if Bob's mastebatory praise of Eva Green's performance was just a bit off-putting).