Pompeii

WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
Click here to show this review. This is first and foremost a disaster movie, and I tend to have fun with disaster movies. They are pure entertainment, and this is what Pompeii is; the story of a Gladiator who falls for the daughter of a powerful family just as Mt. Vesuvius erupts. Kit Harrington (Milo) and Emily Browning (Cassia) are alright in the lead roles, however inconsistent. They are very good when they are not together, but I don't think their on-screen chemistry really worked. I will however praise one scene they are in together near the end. It stood out as not only being well acted, but also well shot. Kiefer Sutherland (Corvus) is not good in his role. I am a fan of his work in "24", but here he plays a mustache-twirling villain with a horrible accent. The problem isn't entirely his fault, as the character doesn't lend himself to Kiefer Sutherland's abilities, and therefore the performance felt forced and unconvincing. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Atticus) is great, and stole every scene he was in. He plays a fellow Gladiator alongside Milo and is without a doubt the best character in the movie. Not only is he superbly acted, but his story is the most interesting, as a Gladiator who is promised freedom after one last arena battle. The first hour of this movie, which borrows heavily from the film Gladiator, is surprisingly entertaining, and I almost forgot about the volcano looming in the background. The Gladiator fights are well done, and one stands out in particular as being hugely entertaining. The volcano eruption itself is awesome, with all of its CGI technology. Two scenes in particular stand out for me as having stellar special effects; one involving a tsunami, and the other taking place at a villa. The only inconsistency in the special effects was one short scene involving a chariot chase through the city, which didn't look convincing at all. I feel that the end of this movie will divide audiences. I have friends who really enjoyed the ending, while others didn't like it at all. Personally, I liked the ending, in that guilty pleasure kind of way, however the very last shot in the movie was superb. The musical score throughout the movie was very well done. It heightened the intensity, and played up the dramatic moments when it needed to. The only real problem I had with Pompeii that was hard to overlook was that it was too short. For example in Titanic, you had three hours to spend with the characters, and get to know them. Here, the movie blows by in just over an hour and a half, and you aren't given enough time to develop an attatchment to the characters (Atticus being the exception) Overall, this is a fun movie, and while flawed, still serves as fun entertainment. If you like disaster movies, and can take them for what they are, you will enjoy this one.