Movie Review: Pompeii (2014)
Written by Anthony Sargon
Paul W. S. Anderson has made some pretty crappy movies. From the endless “Resident Evil” flicks to “Alien Vs. Predator” and “The Three Musketeers”, let’s just say he has yet to make something most people can enjoy. “Pompeii” is the closest Anderson gets to making a good movie, although things don’t get interesting until all the volcano stuff starts happening, but even then it becomes tedious and boring. But as Kit Harington’s (Game of Thrones) first lead role in a big budget “event” movie, I can confidently say that it could have been way worse.
We’ve all heard the story of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city that got wiped out by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. But that only serves as a backdrop to a different story; Milo (Kit Harington) is a slave turned gladiator who needs to fight in order to save his life, and stop his new love Cassia (Emily Browning) from marrying the evil Roman Senator, Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland). The whole thing is basically a gladiator movie with a giant volcano that erupts two thirds of the way through.
The fact that the movie boils down to such a familiar and generic structure is pretty disappointing. “The Legend of Hercules”, while terrible, also had a very similar gladiator arc. Just watch “Spartacus” (the show) to see gladiator action done right. Things finally pick up once the volcano erupts, but that gets old pretty quickly too. Thankfully, the volcano effects look pretty sweet, and the 3D does an adequate job of immersing you in the action.
Kit Harington is fine in the lead, but his character just isn’t charismatic or engaging enough. He’s certainly adept at using a sword and looking pretty, and that’s all we really get. Emily Browning is OK as Cassia, but her lines can be pretty cringe-worthy. Although they’re both gorgeous, you never really buy into their relationship; you just go along with it. The film’s worst performance comes courtesy of Kiefer Sutherland, who is bloody terrible as the villainous Senator Corvus. He’s so hammy and over-the-top that every word that comes out of his mouth sounds hilarious. Just thinking about it makes me chuckle. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who plays Milo’s friend and fellow gladiator, Atticus, is easily the film’s most likable character.
The Verdict:
“Pompeii” may be Paul W. S. Anderson’s best film to date, but it’s still painfully average and joyless. If you’re just interested in seeing a giant volcano erupt and wipe out an entire civilization, though, then you’ll have a good enough time.
Numerical Score: 5/10
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