Catastrophe! That is what this movie is essentially about. That, and lost love due to nature’s interference. The story opens in Northern Brittania in A.D. 62. A young boy named Milo (Kit Harington) witnesses Roman soldiers under their commander Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland) murder his people and his family. He is taken as a slave and the only reason he survived was that he pretended to be dead as he lay with the corpses. Years later he becomes a fierce warrior and he is a pawn as a gladiator in Pompeii. The princess of Pompeii, Cassia (Emily Browning), takes a liking to him when she sees his kindness in putting a horse out of its misery after its leg is wounded. Despite his kindness, he holds a strong grudge against the Romans who killed his family. Milo finds a brother in a fellow gladiator named Atticus (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), whom he is scheduled to meet in a match. However, plans change under the evil Corvus who adds marrying Cassia to his evil schemes. He pits Milo and Atticus against several soldiers with the plan to be rid of Milo, as he sees Cassia’s regard for him.
The movie features stunning special effects as we see and hear the results of the volcano nearby slowly preparing to unleash its fury until doomsday finally arrives. The plot features a lot of fighting and violence and the question becomes whether Cassia and Milo will manage to be together and, if so, if they will survive the coming eruptions of the volcano. Due to the violence level in the film, we are unable to award it our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal.