On February 21, TriStar Pictures released the action-filled adventure Pompeii. The storyline centers around a tragic love story set in Pompeii, Italy, in 79 AD.
Milo, played by Kit Harrington, is a slave turned gladiator who falls in love with Princess Cassia, played by Emily Browning. Their love is doomed from the beginning as Cassia’s father is a prominent and wealthy merchant, and she is currently betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. Senator Corvus, played by Keifer Sutherland, causes endless trouble for Cassia, Milo, and the rest of the Roman society. At the beginning of the movie, Milo witnesses violent actions against his parents and leads a much more troubled life than Cassia. The disparity between social classes is made obvious by this relationship.
However, more is going on in Pompeii than just trouble with the governing system and star-crossed lovers. A power bigger than everyone who lives here is about to erupt- Mount Vesuvius. One of the biggest natural disasters in world history strikes and causes fear and destruction beyond belief. Milo and Cassia are in a race against time to beat the seemingly endless pyroclastic flow. Their deaths may seem imminent, but they are determined to save themselves and their love.
After much anticipation, most movie critics agree that this movie was a disappointment. Rotten Tomatoes gave Pompeii a 24% rating saying, “This big-budget sword-and-sandal adventure lacks the energy and storytelling heft to amount to more than a guilty pleasure.” Twelve-year old Carlos Rubin de Celis says, “This movie stunk. Before I saw the movie, I knew it was going to stink.” Carlos thinks that Pompeii had no point and gives it a 1 out of 10 rating overall.
While Pompeii encompasses adventure, action, drama, and romance, it seems that it did not live up to most audiences’ expectations. Maybe next time, TriStar Pictures.