Vulcão - O Apocalipse

Apocalypse Pompeii is a production of The Asylum—a film production company known for making so-called 'mockbusters'. These mockbusters are films that are released to coincide with the release of big studio epics in order to capitalize on the hubbub surrounding the big-budget movies. They feature titles that are VERY similar to the bigger films—and the movie poster for Apocalypse Pompeii looks an awful lot like that of the upcoming Pompeii! A few other examples of their films are Atlantic Rim, Death Racers, American Battleship, Snakes on a Train…and many others. They also are the same folks who have given us the Sharknado franchise. Because of this, it's obvious the film will have a low budget and very modest pretensions—and most likely will be a film you'll see coming direct to DVD. Despite all this, it is surprising to see that the film actually was shot, in part, in Pompeii as well as…Bulgaria?! Also, the plot is radically different from Pompeii—with the big budget film being set in ancient times and the mockbuster being set in the present.

The film begins with a prologue showing some Hispanic family fleeing in terror from a volcano eruption. Oddly, however, this has almost nothing to do with the film—a film set on the other side of the globe in Italy! After the credits roll, you see a family in Naples. The father has a business meeting and he's brought his wife and teenage daughter with him. While he's at his big meeting, the rest of the family goes to an outing to nearby Pompeii—site of a huge mega-explosion that killed thousands in 79 A.D.. Not surprisingly, soon after the pair arrives at Pompeii, the mountain explodes—and folks run for cover. Fortunately for those who teamed up with the wife and daughter is the fact that the teen knows MORE about volcanoes and how to survive them than a team of volcanologist!! This all-knowing girl, again and again, knows EXACTLY what to do and helps this group survive long enough for the father to become a Rambo-like action hero! The dad (of course) is some sort of ex-military genius and he instantly assembles a team to help him steal a helicopter from a military base (!!) and head to Pompeii to look for his family. If it sounds like the plot is stupid and filled with significant plot problems, then you are pretty much right on the mark!

So is the film 100% bad? No. As I mentioned above, it does have some actual footage of Pompeii. It also keeps your interest, as the pace and music work fairly well and SOME of the acting is competent. Unfortunately, the plot is stupid and the characters are shallow—often coming off as caricatures. I wouldn't rush out to buy a copy or rent the film. Instead, I'd wait until it most likely shows up on the SyFy Channel and watch it if you have absolutely nothing else to do (and that includes washing your hair, checking your air conditioner filters and breathing).

Asylum should hang their heads in shame - what a disaster of a movie! So much wrong with this, it would be difficult to know where to start. As someone pointed out, if you've ever been to Pompeii you know what it's like - you can't drive up in a coach, hop off and walk straight into the ruins - there's a bus and coach park, and a ticket office where you have to buy entry tickets. At one point, the characters walk past 2 bodies (remains of the victims of the 79 AD eruption) - wrong again, the bodies are kept in a secure location, not just left in the street. After the first tremors, the cast are seen walking close to a wide expanse of fields (nothing like that near Pompeii). Despite Vesuvius erupting, there are frequent scenes with blue skies, no darkening of the skies, smoke or anything in the air. There's no large museum like building in Pompeii (it's in Naples), a mud flow doesn't flow that fast and the lava flow? Engulfs the building and chases the cast up to the roof of a large building - the entire area around would be under feet of lava - give me a break!! And a pyroclastic flow flattens everything in its path (see Dante's Peak) but yet the cast survive and it's announced towards the end that some of Pompeii still stands. Do yourself a favour and avoid this at all costs!!

Another cash-in on a potential blockbuster by none other than The Asylum, of course. There is no doubt about that "Apocalypse Pompeii" has seen the light of day because of the forthcoming "Pompeii" movie, just as what The Asylum did when "Pacific Rim" was about to come out, then they put out "Atlantic Rim", or the "Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies" just prior to "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer" came out.

Nevertheless, then I will say that "Apocalypse Pompeii" is actually not as bad as to be expected, and The Asylum did manage to put together a decent enough movie here. Sure, this is not a groundbreaking innovation in movie history, but still, it is enjoyable to watch - despite its predictability and cliché stereotypical built up.

The story is about an American family who has moved to Italy, and while the father Jeff (played by Adrian Paul) has to go to an important meeting, then his wife Lynne (played by Jhey Castles) and daughter Mykaela (played by Georgina Beedle) go to the ruins of Pompeii. A natural disaster takes place, causing Mount Vesuvio to erupt and the tourists trapped in Pompeii struggle to stay alive. Acting against the Italian government and American army, Jeff and his band of soldiers steal a helicopter to go to Pompeii to rescue his wife and daughter.

That was basically the entire storyline summarized in a few lines. The story is so predictable and cliché that it just drips with stereotypical ooze. There are no surprises here, and you see everything coming a mile away.

The acting in the movie was adequate for a movie of this caliber.

All in all, then "Apocalypse Pompeii" is good enough entertainment for a single viewing if you have nothing better at hand to watch or nothing better to do.

I just created an account to make sure no one else watches this movie. Anyone involved in the creation of this failtrocity, from the director to the catering company, should feel ashamed. I'm ashamed that I've watched the whole thing. The "special effects" are awful, the acting is horrendous, the story plot is inexistent, overall I have absolutely nothing good to say about this movie. After the movie I had to look at my calendar to make sure we were still in 2014. With all the technologies available nowadays, I was hoping that at least the lava and the explosions would somewhat look real and cool, but this was not the case at all. Poking your eyes with a fork for 86 minutes will bring you greater entertainment than watching this movie. Cheers,

Imagine a group of strangers involved in an apocalyptic event with no story and meaning behind their meeting. No development of the characters at all. Imagine volcano fumes that on one hand kill by-passers on the spot, but on the other hand are stopped by a glass&lead door. Imagine parents who take their daughter to a bus-trip to a volcano mountain, that is obviously waking up. Imagine all sorts of ridiculous things, e.g. a man going to a sort of job interview, coincidentally having with him 2 satellite telephones... Last but not least, imagine few busty slim cute chicks running away from a disastrous hot gases etc. And that would be the summon of evil of this movie :)