'Pompeii'

Vesuvius is no longer the only thing that destroyed Pompeii. Now there’s the equally destructive director Paul W. S. Anderson.

After Anderson piled up too many superfluities in his film, the storyline of “Pompeii” collapsed just like the city. His effort to mix the elements of sword-and-sandal, cheesy romance and disaster flicks is no less lethal to “Pompeii” than the lava.

The history of Pompeii might track back to ancient Rome, but the origin of “Pompeii” is rooted in Hollywood with no doubt. That’s why you can see the corny overhaul of “Titanic” romantics and knockoffs of “Gladiator” in this movie.

Ironically, the molten lava was so furious that it could burn out the entire city, but it somehow failed to ignite even a little sparkle between our leading characters.

The film is supposed to tell the epic story of Milo, played by Kit Harington, and Cassia, played by Emily Browning. Milo is a slave who later becomes an invincible gladiator, and Cassia is a rich and rebellious girl chased by an illustrious Roman senator named Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland). Yes, it sounds like a “Titanic”-style romance, except that the catastrophe that gilds their love is the volcano eruption instead of a shipwreck.

Given such a classic — and stereotypical — background setting, at least you would expect loads of chemistry and electrifying performances.

But the tedious plot shades the romance with sallowness, and the overloaded storyline quenches any flair.

“Pompeii” is sparing in its use of cohesion. Therefore, the subplots derived from the main storyline are irrevocably distracting. Milo’s miserable experience as he watched the Romans kill his parents and his entire clan should aggravate his hostility towards Corvus. However, Anderson abandoned this foreshadowing and distracts the audience with Milo’s metamorphosis into a formidable fighter.

In “Gladiator,” Russell Crowe knew how to ooze the charm through every wink and movement in the arena. Harington just knows how to handle a broadsword.

Recalling the experience of watching other romantic disaster films when you are so immersed into the characters’ story, you are likely to wait on the edge of your seat for the catastrophic moment. However, for “Pompeii,” you just can’t wait. After the long simmering dullness, something has to explode.

Fortunately, when Vesuvius begins to erupt, Anderson serves a visual feast of impressive CGI. The melting scenery is kind of poetic as the volcano spews a shower of fiery bolides, just like a grand, apocalyptic firework that represents the pathos of
Pompeii. For Milo and Cassia, the overturn of Pompeii is a prison of bliss. It’s biting satire that only with collapse of the walls and hierarchy can they stay together.

Thousands of years ago, Vesuvius ruined the city of Pompeii with a fatal eruption. Thousands years later, Anderson ruined “Pompeii” with a choppy storyline and unnecessary plotting.