Pompeii (2014)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 104 minutes
Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica Lucas, Jared Harris, Kiefer Sutherland, Joe Pingue, Dalmar Abuzeid, Sasha Roiz, Jean-Francois Lachapelle, Rebecca Eady, Currie Graham
KRS release
It is AD79. Milo (Kit Harington) is a gladiator who had once seen his whole family slaughtered by Senator Corvus (Keifer Sutherland) and his troops.
His amazing fighting skills get him transferred to Pompeii where he is to challenge the champion gladiator, Atticus (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). While on the way there, he meets Cassia (Emily Browning), the daughter of merchant Severus (Jared Harris), and Aurelia (Carrie Ann Moss), who falls in love with him. Lady-in-waiting Ariadne (Jessica Lucas) notices this.
Senator Corvus is in town as he is interested in Severus’s efforts to revive the town’s fortunes. He is prepared to fork out the money but wants Cassia in return. Milo and Severus are not too happy about this. Meanwhile, the gladiator is fighting tooth and nail in the arena as Atticus is on a roll and only one victory away from obtaining freedom.
In the background, the Vesuvius is coming back to life and about to take centre stage.
Paul W. S. Anderson is a master B-movie director with no frills and loads of punch. His movies are flashy, full of pace and pander to the fans’ whims and delights.
My favourite of films of his are sci-fi horror Event Horizon, sci-fi actioner Resident Evil (that featured a super Milla Jovovich) and sci-fi thriller Death Race (which saw Jason Statham in screeching-tyre mode).
The scenes of chariots, lava and tsunamis are downright impressive and make movies like Dante’s Peak look childish
Now along comes Pompeii, a disaster movie with swords and sandals and a big volcano thrown in for good measure.
The more Anderson’s career progresses, the more he seems to be treading in the footsteps of exploitation film-maker/guru Roger Corman.
With a movie titled Pompeii, it was obvious that the end was going to be filled with molten lava and spell doom for all concerned. In fact, the film’s final half hour is literally cinematic madness.
The scenes of chariots, lava and tsunamis are downright impressive and make movies like Dante’s Peak look childish. Before this episode, the film can be considered to be a mix of Mills and Boon, Twilight teenage romance and Gladiator.
Harington does his best mix of Steve Reeves and Russell Crowe as he makes for a good gladiator, while Browning leaves a very good impression as a cinema screen beauty.
Meanwhile, Sutherland seems to be simply itching to turn into his 24 character, Jack Bauer, and plug the volcano with some super-secret plan.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje cuts an impressive and imposing figure and dominates the screen.
All in all, this movie glorifies nature’s revenge on the abusers that populate it. It is Anderson’s first attempt at a bona fide epic and the film is chock full of special effects and atmosphere.
The setting is also top notch, with a very effective recreation of the fabled city of Pompeii to make this a celluloid offering that dazzles and shakes.