First ‘300: Rise of an Empire’ trailer is a visual feast of battles and bloodshed

Prepare for some serious man-yelling.
 
Of course I’m talking about the very first trailer for Warner Bros.’ “300: Rise of an Empire,” the follow-up to Zack Snyder’s 2007 blockbuster that made Gerard Butler a star and paved the way for such modern-day sword-and-sandal epics as “Immortals” and “Clash of the Titans.” Snyder is just a producer this time around, with director Noam Murro (erm, “Smart People”) taking the reins and starring duties now handled by Aussie beefcake Sullivan Stapleton (“Gangster Squad,” Cinemax’s “Strike Back”), who plays the role of Athenian general Themistocles during the second Persian invasion of Greece.

The trailer is nothing if not a visual marvel, picking up where Snyder left off with a gorgeous CGI-led evocation of the ancient Battles of Artemisium and Salamis, with at least one slo-mo high kick thrown in for good measure (not to mention lots and lots of Xerxes). Otherwise it appears to be pretty much in the vein of the first film – that is to say, a pretty, pretty package with not much depth lurking beneath all the chest-baring swordplay. But hey, it’s damn fun to look at just the same.

My grade for the trailer: B+. After watching it below, rate it for yourself at top left.

“300: Rise of an Empire” is slated for release on March 7, 2014.
 

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