Film Review: Pompeii

The last few films directed by Paul W.S. Anderson have been universally-hated, so I was skeptical about him directing a historical epic.  His telling of the Pompeii disaster definitely emphasizes spectacle over substance, but I actually expected a lot worse than this.

If nothing else, I enjoyed the film.  There are quite a few gladiatorial fights and battles in the film's first half, which are pretty well-staged and just fun to watch.  Then, when Mt. Vesuvius inevitably erupts, the mass destruction fills up the screen and provides a somber backdrop for even more outrageous action scenes.  It gets pretty ridiculous, maybe even too much for more serious-minded viewers, but even during the melodrama in between, the film rarely dragged for me.

However, the film's story leaves something to be desired.  The opening scenes, which lay out the Celt's backstory, seems to mirror the origins of Conan the Barbarian exactly.  The dude's progression through gladiatorial combat is a story that's been covered well enough in films like Gladiator and Spartacus.  As I've seen other viewers mention, the actual love story is pretty much the same situation as Titanic.  And, just like Titanic, we all know how the story of Pompeii will end.  There's nothing terribly original or groundbreaking in this story.

On its own merits, the story gets the job done though.  It expends the bare minimum to establish a cast of one-dimensional characters (including an incredibly unreasonable villain) playing through a formulaic plotline.  I'm not entirely certain as to how historically accurate the film is; I have seen the Pompeii ruins some years ago, and what I saw on film regarding the street-level views, the amphitheater, the shops, the homes, all generally looked the part.  I imagine more informed viewers could nitpick a lot about the film's portrayal of geography, politics, historical background, and culture.  With my own knowledge of Roman history, however, I didn't notice that much really wrong.  At the very least, as the volcanic eruption went on and on, it became more and more unbelievable that these characters could run around, dodging flaming rocks and debris, and jumping over countless chasms that suddenly appear, without dying.

This film is made with some solid photography.  In fact, I was pretty impressed by some of the imagery; I thought the film's opening shots, showing figures coated in ash with Clinton Shorter's music score and Pliny the Younger's words, is decently invoking.  Editing is good, although a few of the fights might have been cut a little too fast.  Acting is nothing to scream about; Kit Harington is a pretty average tough guy here.  I enjoyed the performances of Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Kiefer Sutherland.  Writing is simplistic and cliched.  This production uses some really great-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Special effects are good-but-not-great.  The music score is really good, and might be the best thing about the film.

It's a story that's been done before, full of cliches and flat characters, and it's historic accuracy is questionable.  However, it is an entertaining thrill ride, and the film has its earnest moments.  You might enjoy this film if you just want to see some big-scale effects and swordplay; if you're looking for something deeper, you might be disappointed.

3.5/5 (Entertainment:  Good | Story:  Average | Film:  Pretty Good)