Pompeii, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, is a movie about the destruction of Pompeii by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Starring Kit Harington as a Celt gladiator named Milo, Emily Browning as the lovely Cassia, Adawale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as the Gladiator Atticus, and Kiefer Sutherland as Senator Corvus. The film tries to capture the same impact and feeling of the James Cameron movie “Titanic”. The movie does succeed on showing the grand scale of the tragedy, but in the attempt to mimic Titanic they lost some better story opportunities to make the film better.
The story follows Milo as his family and people are murdered by Senator Corvus. Milo is taken as a slave and made a gladiator. As Milo arrives in Pompeii he meets and falls for the Lady Cassia but she is being pursued and desired by Corvus. Milo also meets and befriends Atticus in the arena. All this happens while the Volcano is getting ready to burst. Kit Harington does a pretty good job as Milo. He plays the brute with a soft side. He is passible and seems comfortable with is role. The downside to his performance is that he really doesn’t stand out as well as the other actors and actresses do.
Emily Browning plays the love interest. She portrays a strong and intelligent woman. She does a good job. The performance is enjoyable but again the others overshadow her.
Adawale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Atticus is probably one of the better performances. He steals the show, and he has the best scenes. The downside to his performance is that it takes away from the other characters problems. The best thing in this film is his rivalry and friendship with Milo.
Kiefer Sutherland plays Senator Corvus. He is the villain of the film. He has some good scenes but he has a tendency in this film to over act the performance. For a film that is about the destruction of a city, there was no need for a villain. They could have just had a character that is just unpleasant and selfish, no need for a pure evil character. The visual effects are very enjoyable and fun to watch. The grand scale of death and destruction is enjoyable and heart wrenching at times. The cinematography is very enjoyable and pleasant view. The fight scenes are appropriately choreographed, as well as historically accurate to how people would fight in those days.
Pompeii is entertaining and does a pretty good job at making audiences feel for the destruction. The cast is entertaining to watch. The conversations and scenes with Atticus and Milo are the best moments in the film. The Effects are entertaining to watch. The movie is worth watching. Enjoy.
