Review: Pompeii
79 AD, Roman Empire. Near the mountain Vesuvio there's the little, but growing city of Pompeii. The citizen refer themselves as more open-minded than everywhere else. As good as they can they try to ignore that they are a part of Rome. But this changes after Senator Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland) arrives, a legion of soldiers comes with him, under the command of his Second in Command, Centurio Proculus (Sasha Roiz).
Cassia (Emily Browning) just came back from Rome to live again with her parents. And her father Severus (Jared Harris) is the one who brought Corvus to Pompeii - a big and fatal mistake, how Severus has to learn quickly, as Cassia has a past with the senator, and he wants her back. And as if this isn't enough during the awaking of the Vesuvio, there's also a young Celt gladiator (Kit Harington) who has some open business with Corvus and Proculus. Because they murdered not only his parents, they slaughtered his entire village and are at least responsible for his state as a slave.
So, the day of the gladiator-games not only are entertaining, it's also the last day for Pompeii and its citizen. The question is, who will survive in this battle, when Earth itself takes a role?
First of all, if you expect Pompeii as a historical/geological correct movie, you are watching the wrong film. While the start of the inferno is nearly correct to an exisiting eruption, later Paul Andersson takes some ... let us say, inspiration and time outs to be able to tell his story correctly. So, if you are ready for some popcorn-movie, you will be good entertained.
While the characters are delivered (all of them, I have to say) a little flat and monocrome, the action-scenes are well choreographed and executed. It is clear as day where the focus of this movie is. Kit Harington as only survivor of a British village the Romans destroyed, is acting believable but not with the best known depths he delivers on Game of Thrones. Emily Browning is, my point of view as I've seen her in other action-movies, very underused, is her biggest part of the entire movie to open a lock to get rescued by her only real love.
Here, I think, is probably the biggest weakness of the movie. It is clear, you cannot deliver a complete lovestory in a 105 minutes-actionpacked movie. But for me it was out of the blue how deep Cassia and Milo were suddenly in love. I mean, she first saw him when he killed a horse (of course, an act of grace, here I'm with her). But while Cassia acts very coldblooded and business like when she has to deal with Corvus or his handiman Proculus, she suddenly and out of the blue falls so deeply in love with this slave and wants to run away with him. Oookay, the same young woman we just saw at the beginning of the movie with a carriage and several sumpters after she spent (we don't know how long) some time in Rome.
Another little crime is the also complete underuse of Carrie-Anne Moss. All she has to do is, after the first explosion of the volcano, order her husband to kill Corvus, only to watch him die and fade away herself short time later. She's a good actress and this makes me whimper a bit, as I really was looking for some arguments between her and Cassia and/or Corvus. Instead - nothing.
After the main-characters turn out flat (I don't talk about Kiefer Sutherland as I don't like his acting at all, sorry), let's take a look into the seconds. And here we suddenly find some interesting characters, especially in handiman Proculus and Atticus (Adewale), Milo's first biggest concurrent as gladiator, later friend. Also I count Currie Graham into this. His role is pretty small, but he delivers a believable sardistic guard of the gladiators, and as viewer you feel both, satisfaction and sympathy, when he dies.
Talking about Atticus, he may be the strongest character of the entire movie, as the writers gave him a complete background. Yes, they also did, and the viewer sees this at the beginning, a complete arc for Harington's Milo, but somehow Adewale delivers a more believable character. Unless there's also again an unseen breaking point when both (Milo and Atticus) are suddenly best buddies. But it's also believable as men tend to first fight and later be besties.
Proculus ... beside Kit Harington Sasha Roiz was my main reason to watch this movie (okay, and the volcano-theme. Gimme a disaster-movie and I tend to watch the biggest crap). And, what I can say, at least Roiz' Proculus is one hell of a character. True, Roiz' lines are limited, I think he needed nearly half of the movie until he got the first sentence so say, but Roiz' mimic and acting are both, fascinating and dark. Proculus don't have to tell much, he only has to look with a little sardistic smile in the corner of his mouth and you are shivering.
The highlight for me were truly both fights Proculus had on screen. First with Milo, where Proculus showed his dominance with the sword (well done, guys! Unfortunately mostly sword-fights are huge weaknesses in movies, here they were very well choreographed and executed). Later, after all hope was lost to leave Pompeii alive, his last fight was with Atticus to abstract Proculus and hold him back so Milo could save his Cassia from the evil Corvus.
Which brings us back to the volcano. This still leaves me a little disappointed I have to say. Andersson postponed the volcano, he changes facts when it comes down to this disaster. For example the Tsunami which destroyed Pompeii's harbour. There was no reason for this mega-wave to roll in on this point of time. Andersson only used the water to keep Corvus and his men inside Pompeii, which was, my opinion, a lame excuse. Also the last (well, not the last of the volcano itself, but the last chapter for Pompeji) eruption was only a tool, not really that complete and murderous disaster it was for real. While I accepted the ignorance of the people and their explanations (the mountain is speaking, we have that more often here) are okay and are also often heard arguments nowadays. The eruption itself was unbelievable and really left me disappointed.
What I said in the beginning of this review. Don't expect a movie with too many depths or historical correctness. If you expect a action-packed movie, you will enjoy Pompeii. It's a good popcorn movie.
Cassia (Emily Browning) just came back from Rome to live again with her parents. And her father Severus (Jared Harris) is the one who brought Corvus to Pompeii - a big and fatal mistake, how Severus has to learn quickly, as Cassia has a past with the senator, and he wants her back. And as if this isn't enough during the awaking of the Vesuvio, there's also a young Celt gladiator (Kit Harington) who has some open business with Corvus and Proculus. Because they murdered not only his parents, they slaughtered his entire village and are at least responsible for his state as a slave.
So, the day of the gladiator-games not only are entertaining, it's also the last day for Pompeii and its citizen. The question is, who will survive in this battle, when Earth itself takes a role?
First of all, if you expect Pompeii as a historical/geological correct movie, you are watching the wrong film. While the start of the inferno is nearly correct to an exisiting eruption, later Paul Andersson takes some ... let us say, inspiration and time outs to be able to tell his story correctly. So, if you are ready for some popcorn-movie, you will be good entertained.
While the characters are delivered (all of them, I have to say) a little flat and monocrome, the action-scenes are well choreographed and executed. It is clear as day where the focus of this movie is. Kit Harington as only survivor of a British village the Romans destroyed, is acting believable but not with the best known depths he delivers on Game of Thrones. Emily Browning is, my point of view as I've seen her in other action-movies, very underused, is her biggest part of the entire movie to open a lock to get rescued by her only real love.
Here, I think, is probably the biggest weakness of the movie. It is clear, you cannot deliver a complete lovestory in a 105 minutes-actionpacked movie. But for me it was out of the blue how deep Cassia and Milo were suddenly in love. I mean, she first saw him when he killed a horse (of course, an act of grace, here I'm with her). But while Cassia acts very coldblooded and business like when she has to deal with Corvus or his handiman Proculus, she suddenly and out of the blue falls so deeply in love with this slave and wants to run away with him. Oookay, the same young woman we just saw at the beginning of the movie with a carriage and several sumpters after she spent (we don't know how long) some time in Rome.
Another little crime is the also complete underuse of Carrie-Anne Moss. All she has to do is, after the first explosion of the volcano, order her husband to kill Corvus, only to watch him die and fade away herself short time later. She's a good actress and this makes me whimper a bit, as I really was looking for some arguments between her and Cassia and/or Corvus. Instead - nothing.
After the main-characters turn out flat (I don't talk about Kiefer Sutherland as I don't like his acting at all, sorry), let's take a look into the seconds. And here we suddenly find some interesting characters, especially in handiman Proculus and Atticus (Adewale), Milo's first biggest concurrent as gladiator, later friend. Also I count Currie Graham into this. His role is pretty small, but he delivers a believable sardistic guard of the gladiators, and as viewer you feel both, satisfaction and sympathy, when he dies.
Talking about Atticus, he may be the strongest character of the entire movie, as the writers gave him a complete background. Yes, they also did, and the viewer sees this at the beginning, a complete arc for Harington's Milo, but somehow Adewale delivers a more believable character. Unless there's also again an unseen breaking point when both (Milo and Atticus) are suddenly best buddies. But it's also believable as men tend to first fight and later be besties.
Proculus ... beside Kit Harington Sasha Roiz was my main reason to watch this movie (okay, and the volcano-theme. Gimme a disaster-movie and I tend to watch the biggest crap). And, what I can say, at least Roiz' Proculus is one hell of a character. True, Roiz' lines are limited, I think he needed nearly half of the movie until he got the first sentence so say, but Roiz' mimic and acting are both, fascinating and dark. Proculus don't have to tell much, he only has to look with a little sardistic smile in the corner of his mouth and you are shivering.
The highlight for me were truly both fights Proculus had on screen. First with Milo, where Proculus showed his dominance with the sword (well done, guys! Unfortunately mostly sword-fights are huge weaknesses in movies, here they were very well choreographed and executed). Later, after all hope was lost to leave Pompeii alive, his last fight was with Atticus to abstract Proculus and hold him back so Milo could save his Cassia from the evil Corvus.
Which brings us back to the volcano. This still leaves me a little disappointed I have to say. Andersson postponed the volcano, he changes facts when it comes down to this disaster. For example the Tsunami which destroyed Pompeii's harbour. There was no reason for this mega-wave to roll in on this point of time. Andersson only used the water to keep Corvus and his men inside Pompeii, which was, my opinion, a lame excuse. Also the last (well, not the last of the volcano itself, but the last chapter for Pompeji) eruption was only a tool, not really that complete and murderous disaster it was for real. While I accepted the ignorance of the people and their explanations (the mountain is speaking, we have that more often here) are okay and are also often heard arguments nowadays. The eruption itself was unbelievable and really left me disappointed.
What I said in the beginning of this review. Don't expect a movie with too many depths or historical correctness. If you expect a action-packed movie, you will enjoy Pompeii. It's a good popcorn movie.