Parents' Guide to

300: Rise of an Empire

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Sequel with stylized bloody battles, sex, and vengeance.

Movie R 2014 102 minutes
300: Rise of an Empire Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 17+

Based on 10 parent reviews

age 17+

Amazing, but not as good as the first.

I just saw this film today, and I thought the fight scenes, costumes, props, and set were complex and incredible! It is extremely bloody and gory, but the bloody moments are not super disturbing, since the blood does not look very real. Like the original, I though Xerxes looked incredible and crazy, but it was also cool to learn about his past and what compelled him to be what he became and how he transformed into a very different Xerxes. I also think the 4/5 for language is an exaggeration. There are only a few words used only once or twice in the film, so the language is not frequent. Besides an explicit sex scene, nonstop, bloody violence, and a little bit of unnecessary strong language used early in the film, it is an amazing film that any fan of the original “300” must see!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
age 18+

AGE 21+ Graphic Nudity, Orgies, Rape, Sex and Violence

Sex scene with graphic female and male nudity, Gratuitous female toplessness, Graphic violence. Scene where a man appears to rape a 10 year old crying child. No redeeming qualities.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10):
Kids say (21):

The film starts with droning exposition -- explaining a plot that is historically inaccurate anyway -- and adds wooden dialogue and stilted speeches. Then it throws in a boatload of posing, shirtless, chiseled, bearded men that are difficult to tell apart from one another. This is followed by an ongoing array of slow-motion sequences of swords slicing into bodies, limbs, and heads, and huge sprays of fake-looking computer-generated blood. Dust often floats in the foreground to highlight the 3D.

The monotony of the rest of the movie throws into sharp relief one character, the fierce, chilly warrior Artemisia (Eva Green). Green can't do much with this one-dimensional role, but she's by far the best thing in the movie. Zack Snyder adapted Frank Millers graphic novel, while Noam Murro directed. The final product is brutal and boring, though it will no doubt entertain the many fans of the hit original.

Movie Details

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