Durbanites were shown yet another reason why Durban is awesome yesterday with the 300: Rise of an Empire worldwide fan event at Ster Kinekor, Gateway. Hosted by Gareth Cliff, and with the added advantage of time difference, Durban was one of the first places in the world to view this much anticipated sequel (yes, we watched it before the US).
Audience members were treated to a pre-screening cocktail event with professional photographers ensuring that fans were able to relive the premiere. As a cocktail event, it also meant that fans could enjoy mojitos, cosmos and Singapore slings (in moderation). Wait. What? Did I just say mojitos? Yes. Mojitos. Mojitos + 300: Rise of an Empire premiere in IMAX 3D. Ster Kinekor did indeed please many moviegoers as well as provide them with mandatory movie snacks. Gareth Cliff not only hosted the event but also mingled with fans and snapped quite a few photos with them beforehand to add to the night’s excitement.
So now let’s get down to the movie. 300: Rise of an Empire is nothing short of a gore fest and I highly, highly recommend watching it in IMAX 3D. The film goes back and forth with timelines a bit but the bulk of it occurs during the events of the first movie with Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro, who we come to realise was much prettier before becoming the Persian god) moving in on Sparta.
This time around we watch as the second battalion attacks Athens led by Eva Green’s Artemisia. There’s only word to describe Artemisia and that’s badass. She’s hardcore and a formidable nemesis for the movie’s Athenian hero, Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton). If you’re looking for an Oscar-worthy film then I don’t suggest looking here. However, if you looking for action, insane battle scenes, excessive violence and great cinematography then this is right up your alley. It’s not a clever plot and is a bit predictable but the lead characters do pull off their roles brilliantly, enough so that you’re quite happy with the storyline. They also hint at the building blocks of democracy and the politics involved in Greek war strategy. It does play out quite a few epic battles and fans of the first movie will be thrilled to see Lena Headey reprising her role as Queen Gorgo. Whilst the first film spent much of the battles on land, this focused heavily on sea battles. I don’t recommend this to sensitive viewers but if you are a fan of the first then this will definitely quench your 300 thirst for more as well as satisfy any Frank Miller fans.
To book tickets, visit: www.sterkinekor.com or call Ticketline on 082 16789.