Review of Pompeii (2014) by Chris H — 09 Sep 2014

Really this is more like two movies that happen to share location and characters. The second half is the disaster movie you were probably expecting going in, but the first half is essentially a rip-off of Gladiator or any other number of films about gladiators.

The second half is actually pretty damn good, and while from a moral standpoint it feels a bit weird finding enjoyment in watching what was an actual disaster, you can't deny it looks freakin' amazing.

The effects are spectacular and the camera work is surprisingly good, leading to one of the better disaster sequences I've seen in a movie. Unfortunately, that's the films second half. The first deals with the gladiators trying to rise up and fight back against those who enslaved them, as well as one gladiators forbidden romance.

This is a story that has worked in the past, but that's the thing, it's been done already and it's been done way better. Furthermore there is absolutely no tension behind their rise from bondage since we already know that they're doomed and none of their personal problems and politics really matter.

It helps make the material more personal, sure, and actors like Kit Harrington and Kiefer Sutherland give predictably good performances that elevate the material, but it doesn't stop the fact that we know right from the beginning that they are doomed.

I don't know how you could handle this subject better besides maybe putting more focus on the disaster. It's a very good looking movie with a number of memorable scenes, but it's still little more than a guilty pleasure.