Review of Pompeii (2014) by Sherry L — 10 May 2014

Since this is the first review I write in a very long time now, it's may not be ultimate that I chose to review a "rotten" one... But still, I have to start somewhere and I now have this movie fresh in memory.

The director of the Resident Evil movies, Paul W.S. Anderson has now recently made this fictional romantic drama between a Celtic gladiator (Kit Harington) and a young beautiful Roman noble lady (Emily Browning), during the days before the historical eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, which completely destroyed the city Pompeii.

Since I personally have a huge interest in history, and have watched at least half a dozen documentaries about Pompeii, the inaccuracies in the details annoyed me a bit (I won't reveal them unless you specially ask me to, because I don't won't to possibly ruin YOUR watching experience....).

*Milo witness his both parents being brutally killed in North Britannia by romans, ordered by senator Corvus (Keifer Sutherland) , as a little boy, and is consequently captured as a slave. As he grows up becomes a mighty, undefeated gladiator and is removed to Pompeii to amuse the crowds in the Pompeii amphitheater.

Once there, he by pure chance gets to meet the daughter of a wealthy merchant; Cassia. The obstacle is not only the fact that they belong to different classes, but Cassia is destined to marry senator Corvus, the nemesis of Milo...Another "semi-antagonist" is the veteran gladiator Atticus, who is "by roman law" just about to be set free if winning his last battle against Milo. They are enemies by nature, but quickly obtains respect for each other and later when only the laws of surviving the vulcan eruption remains, they help each other.*.

The first part of the movie looked very stylish, lavish and promising. Unfortunately the movie spirals down very fast by the last third of the movie, when the scenes became ridiculously action overpacked and the incredibly cheesy ending is not something I can easily forgive!

Also...I insist that the movie would have been much better if the screen writer had stuck more to the real historical events and skipped the unrealistic extra effects. Pity, because this movie had potential.