These newly-released action-packed adventures show us that not all action movies are created equal.

“Pompeii”

Full of pomp and forced grandeur, Paul W.S. Anderson’s “Pompeii” falls short of recreating the terror of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and instead replaces it with a corny, poorly-constructed narrative failure.

In this melodramatic disaster film, Milo the slave becomes a champion gladiator and sets off to save his true love, the wealthy and beautiful Cassia, who has been unwillingly betrothed to an unscrupulous, murderous senator. However, as Mount Vesuvius erupts in all its fiery glory, Milo and Cassia’s love and the lives of all the citizens of the once grand city of Pompeii are in jeopardy.

A “Gladiator” and “Titanic” mash-up drowned in nauseating cheese and bubbling magma, “Pompeii” showcases generic, unlikeable and unbelievable characters who can’t even put aside their petty differences for the sake of survival. The viewer is supposed to feel a sense of attachment and concern towards the poor slave boy, the confined rich girl and their forbidden love. However, the characters are so mind-numbingly boring, and their love is so horrifically cliché that audience members will find themselves desperately awaiting imminent doom of these star-crossed lovers.

“Pompeii’s” flimsy characters and plot can only be trumped by its awful actors who should be ash-amed of their hand in furthering the doom of this epic-disaster-movie wannabe. For example, Kit Harrington (Milo) and Emily Browning (Cassia) are more like models than actors as they just stand there and look pretty while offering no emotion or even facial expressions to create any sort of connection between the viewers and characters.

The movie’s only saving grace is its lovely CGI, such as Mt. Vesuvius’s eruption, which is admittedly impressive. The computer-generated splendor of the raging firestorm is a beautiful sight to behold, despite the banal, stereotyped characters.

After 90 minutes of agony, Mount Vesuvius kindly interupts the onslaught of cheesy melodrama, annoying characters and atrocious acting with its fireworks of lava as the movie ends (not soon enough) with a laughable and ludicrous kiss scene in the midst of the smoldering flames.

My conclusion: 2/10

“Non-Stop”

A witty and suspenseful game with set rules and complications, Jaume Collet-Serra’s “Non-Stop” grasps the audience’s attention with a powerful grip.

Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a former cop who turned to alcohol after the death of his eight-year-old daughter. Now an air marshal, Marks is travelling from London to New York on a plane when he receives a mysterious text demanding $150 million or a person will die every 20 minutes. As he struggles to reveal the murderer, Marks must overcome various red herrings and face his own inner demons.

“Non-Stop” is able to create a lot of action and conflict with only the confines of a small airplane as its setting. Full of red herrings that keep you guessing about the true identity of the killer, this film makes audience members suspicious of any and all of the passengers who have interesting personalities and stories of their own. Every so often, Collet-Serra throws in a plot twist or two to keep the conflict boiling, but preventing it from bubbling over.

Additionally, the film combines old-fashioned visual ruses with modern CGI and creative camera angles to portray the suffocating confinement of the plane. Regardless, numerous plot holes and ridiculously unbelievable scenes ignore logic and are sure to induce a few eye-rolls throughout the movie.

Liam Neeson, a veteran in Hollywood, pulls the film together and creates a dramatic and thrilling atmosphere. However, while Neeson is a definite asset, “Non-Stop” fails to make full use of its powerhouse cast. For example, Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o only has a couple of lines and seems to disappear altogether in the middle of the movie. As “Non-Stop” wastes its impressive cast, Neeson is forced to carry the weight of the entire film on his shoulders.

Additionally, Marks’s character provides support for the narrative aspect of the film. A flawed character, Marks is an alcoholic ex-cop who is scarred by the death of his beloved daughter. However, he upholds a strong sense of virtue and obligation to his fellow passengers, which allows him to pull at the heartstrings of the audience members.

With its strong leading actor and occasional plot twists, “Non-Stop” serves as a mediocre movie and a good way to burn a few hours. Although easily forgettable, “Non-Stop” succeeds in creating an action-packed film with plenty of turbulence.

My conclusion: 5/10

“The Lego Movie”

Vivacious, buoyant and refreshingly childlike, “The Lego Movie” tickles the audience’s imaginations and modestly demonstrates thought-provoking ideas through comedic, yet inspiring, characters and plot lines.

When Emmet, a completely ordinary construction worker, is mistaken as the “MasterBuilder” of the prophecy who is destined to save the universe, he is forced on an epic quest to defeat the evil President Business and spread creativity throughout the Lego universe. Emmet teams up with the beautiful renegade Wyldstyle, a sage-like, prophetic wizard named Virtuvius, a hyperactive unicorn-kitten hybrid and many other interesting characters in order to save the Lego people from President Business’s super weapon, the “Kragle.”

I expected “The Lego Movie” to be an overblown commercial for Legos, but it turned out to be surprisingly profound. For example, “The Lego Movie” effectively captures the beauty of childhood while realistically portraying society’s role in forcing people to “grow up” and lose their childlike imagination and creativity.

Although understandably choppy in parts, the movie boasts creative and revolutionary stop-motion animation created completely through the use of Lego pieces. The characters, settings and even the laser beams and fire are made of Legos, which create a sense of nostalgia that swarms the hearts of viewers.

Though at first relying on stale one-liners, “The Lego Movie” expands its comedic strategies to appeal to, not only children, but also older audience members. While its running gags and childish jokes are a sure bet with younger viewers and even some older viewers, “The Lego Movie’s” pop culture jokes and satirical representation of society and cultural norms provide a unique, mature comedic atmosphere that captures the attention of older viewers. Regardless of age, all viewers are pelted by clever, hilarious jokes at a rapid-fire pace throughout the film.

Strong narrative skills, lovable characters, an amazing voice cast, hilarious jokes and beautiful animation combine in this zany, eccentric adventure. With its surprisingly deep underlying themes, “The Lego Movie” appeals to children and adults alike and has taught us all not to judge a movie by its title.

My conclusion: 8/10