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Paul W.S. Anderson’s Pompeii Looks Like Red Meat for Us to Tear Apart


A director known for sci-fi movies gets serious and decides he needs real artistic credibility. So he mounts an epic love story – and cannot resist using the backdrop of one of the greatest historical disasters ever, so that hearts are far from the only things breaking onscreen.

When it’s James Cameron, you get Titanic. When it’s Paul W.S. Anderson, you get Pompeii.

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I used to like PWSA quite a bit. Shopping, Mortal Kombat, Event Horizon – these were fine genre B-movies pointing to a promising career. But then he never got better. After sitting barely awake through his horrible, 3-D, not-quite-steampunk Three Musketeers, I have exhausted all faith I had in him. Giving him more money does not result in an improved product.

On the plus side, he didn’t find a way to shoehorn Milla Jovovich in for no reason (I like her, but give it a rest). And that is Mr. Eko looking all pissy. Kiefer Sutherland’s in there somewhere too, and makes me laugh to think of him playing a Roman.

Teaser after the jump – I have a feeling this is one we’re going to be mocking for years to come.