Not as good as the first one, but still watchable.

As the credits began to roll, i sat for a moment, allowing it all to sink in. Had i just witnessed the most disappointing sequel ever? I had not felt this disheartened by a sequel since "The Matrix: Reloaded" Like "The Matrix", "300" for me was excellent; groundbreaking. Fresh and original. And then instead of leaving it as is, they decide to bring in the cash cow and milk it dry. I loved "300"; the action was engrossing, the story was compelling, it was an instant classic. And i never wanted to hear the announcement of an unnecessary sequel. My gut churned when i heard it. But i never thought in my worst nightmares that it would be as bad as it was. The trailer baits you in, with what seemed a promising plot. And left intrigue. By the end of the film it is clear that it was nothing more than a cheap ruse.

The film is all over the place. All this films does is take everything that made the first film great and urinate all over it. The slow motion kills are done to death....within the first 10 minutes. It contained more speeches than the Oscars. It was like a game of battleships (though i would replace the p with a more appropriate t). And between the over the top action sequences they would stand like Hercules and pose..constantly. Then there's the blood......In what can only be described as small versions of The Smoke from "Lost". Maybe done to cater to 3D, but from the very first kill it was so idiotic and made it look extremely cheap. Some of the scenes are atrociously acted. Was sometimes like they where reading their lines from a placard.

The big problem with the film is that is so evident, from the announcement it was to be made, that it was going to try and ride the coat tails of the first film. Cling on for dear life to the actual 300, to the success of the first film. And it showed. It was like "Bourne Legacy" trying to stand on its own without Jason Bourne. If it was its own film it would be one of the worst films ever. But they have the ability to constantly reference Leonidas, even, in a sign of desperation, show Leonidas on several occasions. At one point Themistokles seeks him out. But instead talks to everyone else in Sparta apart from Leonidas. Pointless one would say.

The film lacks the passion, the originality and the spirit from the first film. And yet again another moneymaker that chooses to replace those characteristics with an overexposure of mimicking and a soul-less display of film making.

A feast in so many ways! Unbelievably clear, brilliant photography. Very graphic, but never ceases to amaze. The film is ultimately not as exciting or entertaining as its predecessor, but nevertheless still fascinating. Plot flaws galore, it doesn't quite made sense why Themistokles went to Artemisia's ship, as it seemed like a suicide mission, but the sex scene that subsequently followed was indeed one to behold!

The film does become a bit repetitive and the slow motion overdone, but the eye candy more than compensates for this! Sullivan Stapleton makes a likable hero.