Pompeii (2014)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No major character deaths or reveals.**

During a vicious raid from a group of Roman horsemen, a young Milo (Dylan Schombing) witnesses the systematic execution of his entire tribe. Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland) leads the slaughter, and Corvus murders Milo’s mother in front of him. For his last chance at survival, Milo makes a quick decision to play possum on top of a pile of corpses to escape as the sole survivor. One day, Milo stops for a quick nap in the woods, but a group of slave traders capture him.

As an adult, Milo (Kit Harington) fights as a skilled and deadly gladiator. After an impressive fight, Milo’s slave master, Graecus (Joe Pingue) and his trainer, Bellator (Currie Graham) plan a high profiled one on one fight to the death with Atticus (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a praised and merciless gladiator, filling the role of Milo’s opponent. With a victory and Milo’s death, Atticus earns his freedom from a promised deal, and the fight is scheduled for a great spectacle in Pompeii‘s gladiator arena.

Meanwhile, Cassia (Emily Browning) returns to Pompeii after a year long trip to Rome. Cassia receives a warm welcome from her father, Severus (Jared Harris), the ruler of Pompeii, her mother, Aurelia (Carrie-Anne Moss), and her servant, Ariadne (Jessica Lucas). But Cassia walks into an unpleasant surprise, when a demanding Corvus, and his top officer, Proculus (Sasha Rioz) visit Pompeii to discuss a lucrative deal and an endorsement from Rome with Severus.

Corvus is obsessed with Cassia and a tainted marriage proposal, and he won’t take no for answer. But a benevolent Milo catches Cassia’s attention after Milo’s tough choice for an injured horse’s mercy killing. Cassia will risk everything to save Milo from Corvus’ wrath, and Milo tries to fight his urges for a forbidden relationship with Cassia. Milo waits for his shot at vengeance for the deaths of his people and his mother, but a rumbling Mount Vesuvius’ catastrophic eruption threatens Pompeii’s existence……….

Familiar Clichés for Pompeii? Yep. You’ll see plenty of them. Cassia is the innocent and caring crown jewel, who falls in love with the savage brute (Milo). Everyone else? They see a ruffian with a bad temper, but Cassia notices Milo’s softer side and his kind heart. Corvus is the nasty and corrupt scoundrel, and he could care less about Cassia’s feelings, because he’s not looking for love, or a willing marriage. He wants to possess Cassia. And during a risky horse ride, Milo gives Cassia his “I love you, but we can’t be together” speech, because you know, royalty and commoners don’t mix.

Pompeii is a greedy film. They want it all. An epic historical disaster film, the fairy tale-esque love story between a peasant and the princess, the story of a slave, who fights the odds to overcome a series of obstacles from his captors and oppressors, and an action film loaded with stylish fight scenes.

Still, I enjoyed Pompeii as a guilty pleasure. Pompeii falls short for the intended goal: A grandiose and memorable spectacle of action, devastation, and tragedy. But Pompeii offers a handful of redeeming qualities, IF you’re willing to overlook the misfires for a great film. Harington needs a lot of help to carry the load as the leading man. Browning and Akinnuoye-Agbaje pick up the slack with two solid performances, Jared Harris lends a helping hand, and Sutherland is a genuinely despicable villain.

Pompeii delivers consistent action, with a plethora of hard hitting battle scenes, and Pompeii’s post-eruption finale is a whirlwind of non-stop thrills. And I’ll give this one a bonus point for some eye-popping 3D effects. Also, I’m not a big fan of Paul W.S. Anderson ‘s work, and Pompeii is not a resurrection film for his career, because the facts are simple: Pompeii’s box office fun is/was a big disappointment, and the vast majority of critics trashed Pompeii with no mercy. But it’s a refreshing change to see an Anderson film without “Resident Evil” in the title.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Pompeii (2014)(Spoiler Review)

**This post contains spoilers**

During a vicious raid from a group of Roman horsemen, a young Milo (Dylan Schombing) witnesses the systematic execution of his entire tribe. Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland) leads the slaughter, and Corvus murders Milo’s mother in front of him. For his last chance at survival, Milo makes a quick decision to play possum on top of a pile of corpses to escape as the sole survivor. One day, Milo stops for a quick nap in the woods, but a group of slave traders capture him.

As an adult, Milo (Kit Harington) fights as a skilled and deadly gladiator. After an impressive fight, Milo’s slave master, Graecus (Joe Pingue) and his trainer, Bellator (Currie Graham) plan a high profiled one on one fight to the death with Atticus (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a praised and merciless gladiator, filling the role of Milo’s opponent. With a victory and Milo’s death, Atticus earns his freedom from a promised deal, and the fight is scheduled for a great spectacle in Pompeii‘s gladiator arena.

Meanwhile, Cassia (Emily Browning) returns to Pompeii after a year long trip to Rome. Cassia receives a warm welcome from her father, Severus (Jared Harris), the ruler of Pompeii, her mother, Aurelia (Carrie-Anne Moss), and her servant, Ariadne (Jessica Lucas). But Cassia walks into an unpleasant surprise, when a demanding Corvus, and his top officer, Proculus (Sasha Rioz) visit Pompeii to discuss a lucrative deal and an endorsement from Rome with Severus.

Corvus is obsessed with Cassia and a tainted marriage proposal, and he won’t take no for answer. But a benevolent Milo catches Cassia’s attention after Milo’s tough choice for an injured horse’s mercy killing. Cassia will risk everything to save Milo from Corvus’ wrath, and Milo tries to fight his urges for a forbidden relationship with Cassia. Milo waits for his shot at vengeance for the deaths of his people and his mother, but a rumbling Mount Vesuvius’ catastrophic eruption threatens Pompeii’s existence……….

Familiar Clichés for Pompeii? Yep. You’ll see plenty of them. Cassia is the innocent and caring crown jewel, who falls in love with the savage brute (Milo). Everyone else? They see a ruffian with a bad temper, but Cassia notices Milo’s softer side and his kind heart. Corvus is the nasty and corrupt scoundrel, and he could care less about Cassia’s feelings, because he’s not looking for love, or a willing marriage. He wants to possess Cassia. And during a risky horse ride, Milo gives Cassia his “I love you, but we can’t be together” speech, because you know, royalty and commoners don’t mix.

Looking for any genuine surprises or shocking swerves? Well, you won’t find any jaw-dropping moments in Pompeii. You can see the teased showdown between Milo and Corvus coming from a mile away (the intro with Milo as a child gives it away), and here’s a short list for some predictable developments in Pompeii:

-Milo and Atticus burying the hatchet for their feud to join forces against the Romans.

-Milo risking his life to save Cassia after the eruption.

-A treacherous Corvus blackmailing Severus into a marriage proposal with Cassia.

Although, the final battle between Milo and Corvus is fun to watch. Milo chases (with the help of a horse) Corvus and his chariot with a kidnapped Cassia through the burning and crumbling city of Pompeii. Eventually, Milo catches Corvus to start a fight to the death. Corvus gains the upper hand towards the end, but Cassia steps in to save Milo. Cassia uses chains to restrain Corvus, and Milo contemplates a painful death, but he changes his mind at the last second. Milo walks away from a chained Corvus, because Milo wants Corvus to suffer a more excruciating death. As Milo and Cassia escape the city on a horse, a wave of lava engulfs Corvus.

Milo and Cassia? Well, they escaped to the outskirts of the city, but there’s one big problem: They’re still in the danger zone for Mount Vesuvius eruption. An oncoming wave of lava approaches Milo and Cassia. Milo pushes Cassia to ride the horse alone (the horse can’t outrun Vesuvius’ eruption with two people) for safety, but Cassia refuses. Instead, Cassia makes a willing choice to stay and die with Milo.

To end the movie, Cassia and Milo die together, as they share one last kiss in another wave of lava. Also, a mortally wounded Atticus murdered Proculus after a fight in the arena, and Atticus accepted his death as a “free man” after another wave of lava destroyed the arena.

Yeah, you’ll see a lot of  “too corny” complaints for Pompeii’s ending. Personally, I‘m indifferent to the ending. It’s not a horrible or unbearable ending, and I didn’t feel the need to pick up a barf bag after an overdose of sappiness. Come to think of it, the featured movie poster for Pompeii is one big spoiler. Remember the image of Cassia and Milo sharing a kiss, with Mount Vesuvius and a wave of lava in the background? The image on the movie poster is eerily similar to the final moments of Pompeii, and it’s almost impossible to ignore the similarities. 

Pompeii is a greedy film. They want it all. An epic historical disaster film, the fairy tale-esque love story between a peasant and the princess, the story of a slave, who fights the odds to overcome a series of obstacles from his captors and oppressors, and an action film loaded with stylish fight scenes.

Still, I enjoyed Pompeii as a guilty pleasure. Pompeii falls short for the intended goal: A grandiose and memorable spectacle of action, devastation, and tragedy. But Pompeii offers a handful of redeeming qualities, IF you’re willing to overlook the misfires for a great film. Harington needs a lot of help to carry the load as the leading man. Browning and Akinnuoye-Agbaje pick up the slack with two solid performances, Jared Harris lends a helping hand, and Sutherland is a genuinely despicable villain.

Pompeii delivers consistent action, with a plethora of hard hitting battle scenes, and Pompeii’s post-eruption finale is a whirlwind of non-stop thrills. And I’ll give this one a bonus point for some eye-popping 3D effects. Also, I’m not a big fan of Paul W.S. Anderson ‘s work, and Pompeii is not a resurrection film for his career, because the facts are simple: Pompeii’s box office fun is/was a big disappointment, and the vast majority of critics trashed Pompeii with no mercy. But it’s a refreshing change to see an Anderson film without “Resident Evil” in the title.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Melancholia (2011)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No major reveals or character deaths**

After an unexpected dilemma with their limo, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) are stranded on the road with no help. As newlyweds, Justine and Michael are late to their own wedding reception, and Justine receives an icy welcome from her family.

Justine’s sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her husband, John (Kiefer Sutherland)  host the reception at their lavish estate, featuring a grand golf course, but the joyous night takes a turn for the worst after Justine and Michael’s arrival. Claire begs a distracted and moody Justine to enjoy the party, and Claire’s husband, John isn’t happy about wasting money on a dissatisfied Justine.

To make matters worse, Justine’s surly mother, Gaby (Charlotte Rampling) is still holding a grudge, the wedding planner (Udo Kier) avoids eye contact with Justine, because she ruined the wedding, and Justine’s pushy boss, Jack (Stellan Skarsgard) is looking for a new tagline for a recent ad. For a temporary escape from the madness at the party, Justine finds solace in Claire’s young son, Leo (Cameron Spurr) and her eccentric father, Dexter (John Hurt).

The party is a disaster, but Justine, Claire, John, and everyone else are forced to deal with a bigger problem. A large rogue plane name Melancholia is on a collision course with earth. With five days to prepare for the collision, a depressed and lonely Justine moves in with Claire and John. To ease Claire’s fears, John dismisses the scientists projections for Melancholia’s arrival, and he reassures Claire Melancholia will pass Earth without any problems. Is John right about a harmless flyby sighting from Melancholia? Or will Melancholia destroy earth during a once in a lifetime apocalyptic collision?

Kirsten Dunst delivers one of the best performances in her career as Justine. Justine is a miserable train wreck in every way imaginable. She doesn’t care about the reception or her new husband, she squanders a promotion from her boss, and there’s a scene, where Justine beats one of Claire’s horses out of frustration. Also, during a severe stage of depression, Justine bursts into tears during a meal with her favorite food (meatloaf), because everything tastes like “ashes.”

But you can feel sympathy for Justine during the fiasco at the wedding reception. Charlotte Rampling’s Gaby is just a bully, who taunts and degrades her own daughter. Claire openly expresses her hatred for Justine, and Jack is a real scumbag, because he’s forcing one of his employees to work on her wedding day.

And the irony behind the Justine character  comes full circle towards the end, because Justine is the voice of reason during the Melancholia dilemma. It’s strange, because throughout the movie, Justine is the primary source for everyone’s problems and headaches. Dunst really immersed herself in the Justine character. You’ll either hate or love Justine, because there’s no middle ground for this character, but it’s impossible to ignore the top notch quality of Dunst’s engrossing performance.

The supporting cast is rock solid, with Gainsbourg providing the second best performance as Claire. Although, Gainsbourg has the advantage of more screen time over everyone else. Rampling could’ve stole the show as the hateful mother, and you can say the same thing about Hurt’s  Dexter, as the loopy and carefree father. But the screen time for both characters is limited to the first half of the film focusing on Justine’s story. Stellan Skarsgard is a nice fit for the demanding and uncaring boss, and I can’t say too much about Alexander Skarsgard, because Michael’s screen time is cut short, and his character is overshadowed by Justine’s troubles and the calamity at the wedding reception. No complaints about Kiefer Sutherland’s John, and Spurr is harmless as Leo.

My biggest problem with Melancholia? It’s too uneven. The story is split into two parts. Part One focuses on Justine, and Part Two is titled “Claire,” but Melancholia is the primary focus. Part One did a good job of establishing the main characters, but the drama during the wedding reception didn’t do anything for me. In fact, Part One is very boring and uninteresting most of the time, and two of the most entertaining characters (Gaby and Dexter) don’t appear in the second half.

Part One can’t measure up to Part Two, because Part Two packs a powerful, gut-wrenching punch. Some will say it’s unfair to compare a failed wedding reception to the possibility of a doomsday threat, but I HAD to know what would happen during Part Two. On the flip side, Part One didn’t do enough to pique my interest for the second act.

Still, Melancholia isn’t a bad film. It’s an emotional and absorbing apocalyptic drama, featuring stunning visuals, a strong cast, and Lars Von Trier’s impeccable work behind the camera is something to admire. Melancholia might be too bleak and depressing for some people, but I couldn’t pull myself away from the screen during the grandiose finale. It’s an experience I’ll never forget, and I’m glad I took a chance on Melancholia.

Rating: 8/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Melancholia (2011)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

After an unexpected dilemma with their limo, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) are stranded on the road with no help. As newlyweds, Justine and Michael are late to their own wedding reception, and Justine receives an icy welcome from her family.

Justine’s sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her husband, John (Kiefer Sutherland)  host the reception at their lavish estate, featuring a grand golf course, but the joyous night takes a turn for the worst after Justine and Michael’s arrival. Claire begs a distracted and moody Justine to enjoy the party, and Claire’s husband, John isn’t happy about wasting money on a dissatisfied Justine.

To make matters worse, Justine’s surly mother, Gaby (Charlotte Rampling) is still holding a grudge, the wedding planner (Udo Kier) avoids eye contact with Justine, because she ruined the wedding, and Justine’s pushy boss, Jack (Stellan Skarsgard) is looking for a new tagline for a recent ad. For a temporary escape from the madness at the party, Justine finds solace in Claire’s young son, Leo (Cameron Spurr) and her eccentric father, Dexter (John Hurt).

The party is a disaster, but Justine, Claire, John, and everyone else are forced to deal with a bigger problem. A large rogue plane name Melancholia is on a collision course with earth. With five days to prepare for the collision, a depressed and lonely Justine moves in with Claire and John. To ease Claire’s fears, John dismisses the scientists projections for Melancholia’s arrival, and he reassures Claire Melancholia will pass Earth without any problems. Is John right about a harmless flyby sighting from Melancholia? Or will Melancholia destroy earth during a once in a lifetime apocalyptic collision?

Kirsten Dunst delivers one of the best performances in her career as Justine. Justine is a miserable train wreck in every way imaginable. She doesn’t care about the reception or her new husband, she squanders a promotion from her boss, and there’s a scene, where Justine beats one of Claire’s horses out of frustration. Also, during a severe stage of depression, Justine bursts into tears during a meal with her favorite food (meatloaf), because everything tastes like “ashes.”

But you can feel sympathy for Justine during the fiasco at the wedding reception. Charlotte Rampling’s Gaby is just a bully, who taunts and degrades her own daughter. Claire openly expresses her hatred for Justine, and Jack is a real scumbag, because he’s forcing one of his employees to work on her wedding day.

And the irony behind the Justine character  comes full circle towards the end, because Justine is the voice of reason (more on that later) during the Melancholia dilemma. It’s strange, because throughout the movie, Justine is the primary source for everyone’s problems and headaches. Dunst really immersed herself in the Justine character. You’ll either hate or love Justine, because there’s no middle ground for this character, but it’s impossible to ignore the top notch quality of Dunst’s engrossing performance.

The supporting cast is rock solid, with Gainsbourg providing the second best performance as Claire. Although, Gainsbourg has the advantage of more screen time over everyone else. Rampling could’ve stole the show as the hateful mother, and you can say the same thing about Hurt’s  Dexter, as the loopy and carefree father. But the screen time for both characters is limited to the first half of the film focusing on Justine’s story. Stellan Skarsgard is a nice fit for the demanding and uncaring boss, and I can’t say too much about Alexander Skarsgard, because Michael’s screen time is cut short, and his character is overshadowed by Justine’s troubles and the calamity at the wedding reception. No complaints about Kiefer Sutherland’s John, and Spurr is harmless as Leo.

When the story shifts to Part Two, time is running out before the big collision with Melancholia, and Justine is a broken and lonely woman. At the wedding reception, a bewildered Michael abandons her. Jacks’ prodding pushes Justine over the edge, so she quits her job. Out of nowhere, Justine has sex with Jack’s assistant on the golf course, and Dexter breaks a promise to Justine. During the reception, Dexter promised to sleepover at the estate with Justine, so they could have breakfast the next morning. But Dexter leaves a note to Claire about catching a taxi to leave the estate. In the end, Dexter vanished without saying anything to Justine.

Justine is stuck in an immobile stage of misery. She won’t bathe herself, she refuses to eat, and she can’t walk without Claire’s help. After a while, Justine slowly climbs out of her hole, and her troubles take a backseat to a bigger problem: Melancholia. John’s projections for a harmless flyby are proven wrong after Melancholia circles earth. John spots Melancholia’s new trajectory in his telescope, and in a matter of hours, Melancholia will destroy earth.

During Claire‘s nap on the patio, John swallowed an entire bottle of pills (originally, Claire bought the bottle of pills, so everyone could commit suicide together without suffering a brutal death, if Melancholia hit earth) to commit suicide. Claire panics, when she uses Leo’s homemade apparatus to see an up close view of Melancholia, and Claire finds John’s lifeless body in the stable outside.

All the cars in the driveway won’t crank. Claire uses a golf cart to drive Leo and herself to a nearby village for one last desperate shot at safety, but the battery in the golf cart dies, so Claire returns to the estate with a nonchalant Justine. Claire wants a perfect setting for Leo’s final moments on earth with music and candles, but Justine shoots Claire’s idea down for a more favorable activity with Leo. Together, Leo and Justine build a shabby magical teepee with wood from a nearby forest. Justine, Leo, and Claire hold hands inside the teepee, as Melancholia crashes into earth. The last image of the movie shows Justine, Claire, and Leo together, as a big wave of fire destroys everything in its path, and the screen cuts to black.

An amazing sequence. I could feel the inescapable sense of dread and terror before Melancholia destroyed earth. The shot of Melancholia crashing into earth is a beautiful and breathtaking image. Plus, Gainsbourg did a wonderful job of selling the heartbreaking devastation, as Claire is scrambling to find a car that actually works.

During the final scene in the teepee, you get a chance to see three different POVs for Melancholia’s arrival. Leo is calm, because he’s too young to really understand the severity of what’s about to happen. Claire tries to hold everything together, but she falls apart in the final moments. And Justine simply accepts the end with no regrets or problems. It’s an incredible turn around, when you stop and think about. The roles are reversed during the final stages of Melancholia’s arrival, because Justine is the peacemaker, and Clarie is the one, who’s causing most of the problems.

My biggest problem with Melancholia? It’s too uneven. The story is split into two parts. Part One focuses on Justine, and Part Two is titled “Claire,” but Melancholia is the primary focus. Part One did a good job of establishing the main characters, but the drama during the wedding reception didn’t do anything for me. In fact, Part One is very boring and uninteresting most of the time, and two of the most entertaining characters (Gaby and Dexter) don’t appear in the second half.

Part One can’t measure up to Part Two, because Part Two packs a powerful, gut-wrenching punch. Some will say it’s unfair to compare a failed wedding reception to the possibility of a doomsday threat, but I HAD to know what would happen during Part Two. On the flip side, Part One didn’t do enough to pique my interest for the second act.

Still, Melancholia isn’t a bad film. It’s an emotional and absorbing apocalyptic drama, featuring stunning visuals, a strong cast, and Lars Von Trier’s impeccable work behind the camera is something to admire. Melancholia might be too bleak and depressing for some people, but I couldn’t pull myself away from the screen during the grandiose finale. It’s an experience I’ll never forget, and I’m glad I took a chance on Melancholia.

Rating: 8/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1