Molten rock and mediocre acting erupted from the depths of Mt. Vesuvius this weekend with the release of Paul W.S. Anderson’s disaster film “Pompeii” (Rated PG-13; 105 Min.).

Although “Pompeii” is visually appealing and action-packed, the film lacks a complex plot and in no way shows the true talents of its cast. Set in Italy in 79 A.D., the movie follows slave-turned-gladiator Milo, nicknamed “The Celt” (Kit Harington), as he searches for freedom and love.

The plot of the movie follows Milo as he is taken to Pompeii to be displayed as a puppet, fighting for his life for the entertainment of the people. Knowing that each day could be his last, Milo uses his anger against the Roman Empire to enhance his skills as a fighter.

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In his quest, Milo stumbles on the beautiful Cassia (Emily Browning). This romance, as depicted by Anderson, captures the cliché rich girl, poor boy romance seen in so many movies before it, making “Pompeii” a combination of “Gladiator” and “Titanic.”

However, this depiction fails miserably at capturing the essence of these movies. The dialogue between characters, neither complex nor entertaining, is quite dull in comparison to these award-winning films. Browning’s and Harington’s romance mostly stems from their glances at each other throughout the film. The lack of conversation between the two makes it difficult for the development of love to blossom.

As Milo prepares to fight the champion gladiator of Pompeii, he discovers the man behind the slaughtering of his family as a child — corrupted Roman senator Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland) — has entered Pompeii to invest his political power and take the beautiful and unwilling Cassia as his own.

Sutherland’s character is a villainous depiction of poor acting. Flaunting a strange accent that in no way sounds Italian, Corvus is one of those characters everyone hates. His madness, however, is quite entertaining on a hold your breath, try not to laugh level.

Beyond the lack of strong dialogue, character and plot development, the movie does provide a lot of visually appealing concepts. “Pompeii” certainly won’t blow audiences’ minds, but between the vicious gladiator fights and the exciting explosion of the volcano, viewers get a healthy dose of action, making up for the film’s other blunders.