Pompeii

Kit Harrington and Emily Browning in “Pompeii”; photo courtesy of TriStar/FilmDistrict

“Pompeii” (TriStar/FilmDistrict)

The newly released movie “Pompeii” makes a spectacle out of itself – and isn’t that what it is supposed to do? This is a movie about a city being destroyed by a volcano, and everything about the plot is colored by the happening of this event. Some may complain that its characters are over the top but in this type of movie they are backdrop any way.

In the opening scenes we see a young boy named Milo (Dylan Schombing) watch his entire village being massacred by Roman troops. He fakes being dead to avoid being killed. Later he is discovered and is sold into slavery where he remains until he is grown. He has become a fierce fighter and is taken to Pompeii to fight in the arena.

In Pompeii, Milo (Kit Harrington) has a chance encounter with the ruler of the city’s daughter, Cassia (Emily Browning). One look is all it takes for them to fall in love. But Cassis has also attracted the eye of the evil Roman official Corvus (Keifer Sutherland). He plans to make her his own and get rid of Milo in the process. But while all of this plotting is taking place Mount Vesuvius is building up for a big eruption.

This disaster themed film is reminiscent of all those spectacular movies Irwin Allen created in years past. The special effects make it all seem fairly real and the actors are just there to live or die at the director’s behest. In this movie the actors are actually better than expected for a film like this.

Sutherland strides through the film sets chewing up scenery left and right. He is hysterical both literally and figuratively as he faces the exploding volcano and the man who dares challenge him for Cassia. Hopefully the memory of this performance will fade before he returns to TV as Jack Bauer.

Cassia’s parents are played by Jared Harris and Carrie-Anne Moss. They too ham it up, especially in their death scene. Romeo and Juliet have nothing on them. Then there is Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje who plays another slave/fighter. Akinnuoye-Agbaje is a much better actor than this role requires. It reminds me of how many times Woody Strode played the slave/gladiator role in movies, particularly “Spartacus.” He was always more Impressive than the role was.

The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence.

Is the spectacle of “Pompeii” enough to satisfy audiences? For the most part I say yes. It delivers what it promises, no more and no less.

I scored “Pompeii” an erupting 5 out of 10.