Kit Harington's Milo is a slave with a grudge against Rome in Pompeii.
The build-up to the inevitable conclusion can be continuously re-imagined for dramatic purposes, though, and the screenwriters responsible for this effort went for sword-and-sandals soap opera, which is fairly standard for special effects-laden historical dramas.
The result is often hilariously overwrought. Kiefer Sutherland affects a bizarre, camp Eton accent while apparently trying to pout as he speaks.
Emily Browning’s Cassia becomes the object of affection for more than one suitor. Picture: Supplied.
It’s all patently ridiculous, but the cheerful commitment to the cause by director and actors makes it a joyously silly experience rather than a profoundly annoying one. And there are enough swords, fists and fireballs to make the 3D component worthwhile.
