General Themistocles tries to unify Greece against the merciless Artemis.

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As the legendary 300 Spartans prepare to march on Xerxes, General Themistokles tries to unify Greece against an even more redoubtable adversary: the merciless and vengeful Artemisia. Leading the Persian navy, she advances on the enemy, resolved to destroy it at all costs. But when King Leonidas is killed, the battle takes on colossal proportions.

To exploit the phenomenal success of 2007's 300, Warner Studios opts for a sidequel: a fake sequel that takes place simultaneously to the first episode, mainly using new characters. The concept shows a profound lack of ideas and purely commercial objectives, which is obvious on screen from beginning to end. Rise of an Empire is in the typical Zack Snyder mold, with buckets of blood and slow-motion battles in a purely digital landscape. In the midst of this cinematographic ruin, Eva Green is excellent as the warrior commander, the only interesting character in this movie. Her physical charisma and stunning beauty save the movie from absolute mediocrity.