On DVD and Blu Ray - "Pompeii"- (2014) - The whole thing’s pretty damned thin, though this spectacle-driven, tragic Romance/Action/Period Piece/Disaster Film is much better than I ever thought it would be. I normally loathe PG-13 rated sword and sandal flicks (what’s the point?), but found the special effects/overall aesthetic and efficient direction here making for a worthwhile watch.
English actor Kit Harington (HBO's Game Of Thrones) is solid as the slave-turned-Gladiator who falls for the lovely Emily Browning (Sucker Punch), portraying the privileged daughter of Jared Harris (Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows) and Carrie-Anne Moss’s (The Matrix) wealthy Pompeii socialites. Kiefer Sutherland (24) is miscast as a villainous Roman senator who comes between the star-crossed lovers, but hams it up nicely.
Staged against the backdrop of the simmering Mount Vesuvius, the set pieces and costumes are impressive, the fight scenes (although rather bloodless) are commendably choreographed and filmed, while the digital effects are sharp and detailed- the eruption is well-worth waiting for and damned if I didn’t feel cheated for not checking this out in theaters and in 3D. It’s a worthwhile guilty pleasure from a filmmaker who appears to quite comfy in guilty pleasure territory- Director Paul W.S. Anderson has given us films like Resident Evil, Alien vs. Predator and Death Race.
Give it whirl, but be forewarned- don't expect a happy ending...
6.5 out of 10
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Cast: Kit Harrington, Emily Browning, Emily Browning, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica Lucas, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jared Harris, Joe Pingue and Kiefer Sutherland
Run-Time: 105 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense battle sequences, disaster-related action and brief sexual content
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