More Compelling Than 300

Okay, saying this is 'more compelling than 300' is not exactly high praise. That movie was pure eye candy -- good fun, gets you to the bottom of a popcorn and you don't regret paying full price so, in that sense, it was as good as you could rationally expect, but -- compelling? -- not so much.

This trailer, though, makes me want to know what happens next and that's a rare quality for this kind of movie. There would seem to be plot worth following and character arc substantial enough to mean something.

Eva Green holds center stage as Artemisia and she brings an anger. I think it percolates in her naturally and definitely informs her portrayal. You can sense it. It radiates off the screen. Like she's venting. It feels real, and people might respond to that. I do. I actually want to see her in this role, and how often do you feel that way about any actor's performance in a fizzy flick like this.

I wouldn't necessarily "...dance across the backs of dead Greeks" to see it, but '300: Rise of an Empire' is looking pretty good, actually.