Pompeii (2014)

[baumer]

 

Oh B!  What the hell?!

 

I understand you loved Gladiator and Titanic.  That is why I'm so surprised you love this too.  

 

It isn't just filled with cliches, it lifts things wholesale from those two, far superior movies!

 

This is taken from Goldberg's review on Collider and it sums up this problem very well:

 

 

 

Not only that but the "romance" was flat-out terrible!  They had like what 4 scenes together?  Milo and Atticus had a far more believable friendship because we actually got to see them interact.  

 

 

Funny, I don't remember Maximus falling for anyone in Gladiator.  He was pissed off that his family was slaughtered.  In fact, here's a quote from Crowe:

 

[on studio demands for a sex scene in Gladiator (2000)] I'm sorry boys, but it doesn't suit the character. We can't be avenging the death of the wife and child, and stop for a bit of nookie along the way. I'm sorry, it's not gonna happen.

 

The point is, when you want to dislike something, you'll find anything to dislike it.  If you went into this film with an open mind, I think people would like it.  But you've pretty much already made up your mind that you are going to dislike it already.

[Empire]

Baumer, your review makes me really want to see it now.

[Deep Wang]

Funny, I don't remember Maximus falling for anyone in Gladiator.  He was pissed off that his family was slaughtered.  In fact, here's a quote from Crowe:

 

[on studio demands for a sex scene in Gladiator (2000)] I'm sorry boys, but it doesn't suit the character. We can't be avenging the death of the wife and child, and stop for a bit of nookie along the way. I'm sorry, it's not gonna happen.

 

The point is, when you want to dislike something, you'll find anything to dislike it.  If you went into this film with an open mind, I think people would like it.  But you've pretty much already made up your mind that you are going to dislike it already.

 

That is Paul WS Anderson's MO.  He just takes whatever he likes and reuses it as he sees fit.

 

In one seen in Death Race, he takes dialogue DIRECTLY from Aliens.

 

Coach: [after Jensen wins a short prison fight in the cafeteria] I guess he didn't liked the oatmeal, neither.

 

[Ripley slaps away the tray of food Bishop offers her]

Frost: I guess she don't like the cornbread, either.

 

It was in the trailer for crying out loud.

 

If he had included that in AVP, I can maybe see it as an homage.  But it is in an entirely different movie altogether.

[baumer]

See, you have preconceived notions about him already.  That's fine, I understand that.  But imo, I think you didn't give this film a chance from the beginning, Rallax.  I probably do the same thing when it comes to directors like Terrence Malick and a few others.  Imo, to deny that this film was entertaining is a little strange in my eyes  But what can you do?

[Deep Wang]

See, you have preconceived notions about him already.  That's fine, I understand that.  But imo, I think you didn't give this film a chance from the beginning, Rallax.  I probably do the same thing when it comes to directors like Terrence Malick and a few others.  Imo, to deny that this film was entertaining is a little strange in my eyes  But what can you do?

 

Oh, I totally had preconceived notions going into it.  It's Paul WS Anderson!  Have you seen all of his movies?  

 

I know we give Bay shit, but there isn't a doubt in my mind that Anderson is far, far, far, far worse.

 

I'm glad you liked it, I wish every movie were good.  

[baumer]

Of course I've seen his films and they are shit for the most part.  But I guess this one just appealed to me.  

[CJohn]

Baumer gave 9/10 to this?! Holy crap, there is a strong chance I will love it now. It always looked cool to me so I always planned on seeing it.

[Jessie]

That is Paul WS Anderson's MO. He just takes whatever he likes and reuses it as he sees fit.In one seen in Death Race, he takes dialogue DIRECTLY from Aliens.Coach: [after Jensen wins a short prison fight in the cafeteria] I guess he didn't liked the oatmeal, neither.[Ripley slaps away the tray of food Bishop offers her]Frost: I guess she don't like the cornbread, either.It was in the trailer for crying out loud.If he had included that in AVP, I can maybe see it as an homage. But it is in an entirely different movie altogether.

What he made Death Race? I actually enjoyed that lolthough i wasn't expecting much from it. Edited February 26, 2014 by Jessie

[Hiccup]

Saw it a second time and bumped by rating up to a 7.5 instead of a 6.5. I love Rome and I was always really excited for this film and it was exactly what I wanted. To bad the studio didn't put more effort into it and give it a good theater count and release date. 

[Omario]

Pompeii shows that some TV actors cant translate to the big screen.

 

D+

[Films]

Seeing this next weekend as only released here on Wednesday

[Lordmandeep]

This was like watching a made for TV movie on the discovery channel.

 

Only thing is the Pompeii tv movie from the discovery channel was much better. 

[elcuervo]

This confirms that I will likely never ever see a film off solely baumer's recommendation again.

[Lordmandeep]

I thought this film would focus on Pliny the Elder and Younger when I heard about it. 

[TheMovieman]

Really wanted to like this, and there are some good elements, but its cliched in so many areas and even so, the screenplay is a mess. It's a shame really because I actually thought the three main actors — Kit Harrington, Emily Browning and, especially, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (who could've had a movie of his own) — were quite good and deserved a better script. The oddball part of the movie was how someone thought casting Kiefer Sutherland as a Roman senator was a good idea followed by Sutherland's performance which, while fun, was really goofy and took away from any seriousness the movie had going for it, which admittedly wasn't a whole lot, but he didn't help matters.

 

Another plus is the score, yeah the vocals are over-the-top but I liked it and even went and bought it for my iPod.

 

So typical of Paul W.S. Anderson taking something that could've been a fun and thoroughly enjoyable action-adventure and make it oh so mediocre.

 

**½/*****, (C, 5.2/10, 2/4)

Edited May 12, 2014 by The Movieman

[Films]

So so so looking forward to this and wow that was badThe goodThe only actor that looked bad in the trailer (Adewale Akinnuoye- Agbaje) was fantastic and great and gave an amazing performanceThe start with the quotes was really goodThe visual effects were absolutely amazing and it looked fantasticThe score was goodThe badLiterally every acting performance was awful. Harrington and Browning had no chemistry together (even with the point underneath) and Sutherland was an awful villianThe script was pretty terrible. It made no sense of how Harrington and browning characters fell in love. Yay he saved an animal, that was about it. Parts were really poor such as sutherlands character just wanting to marry Brownings characterHA HA HA. I was actually laughing at the ending while hoping the wave would sweep them over a lot quicker than it did. It tried to go for a titanic ending with an emotional death but it was awful.After the really good quotes, I was falling asleep for the next 10 minutesHow come Milo is so good with animals?And lots moreUnlike the also dreadful the three musketeers though, this one wasn't so bad its funnyOne funny part though was two people had an argument so loudly in the cinema about 10 minutes through the filmAnyway C-. The same rating as the three musketeers

Edited May 15, 2014 by MeanGirlsFilms

[Jack Nevada]

Good, romping fun. 

[ladyevenstar22]

baumer you're sweet for liking this !

 

i didnt hate it , it was ok in sense i watched it , i kept laughing the entire time and basically rolling my eyes 

 

but i was tots interacting with the film , the script was terrible  but the movie is shot beautifully , visuals are great 

 

i had to remind myself there weren't no geologist at the time to check on volcano and give warning to get out of dodge 

 

but what had me in stitches was couple scenes where they're either staring at an erupting volcano, or fighting + killing each other 

i was like SERIOUSLY you guys have your priorities on wrong 

 

nevermind the slave owners who left  the arena before the fight started, a good 15 mn before the volcano erupted somehow ended up stuck in the crowded harbour , but gets on a boat only to die , that one had me confuse , unless he took a pit stop to eat and bath first he should have been on the first boat leaving 

 

but def the last scene takes the cake , the horse couldnt carry them , this guy was supposedly a horse whisperer of sorts but he couldnt calm the horse get back on and ride on with the girl , and gotten a fighting chance 

 

basically i know my pompeii history but jeez this is a movie not a biography , they could have altered the end and let them live  a peaceful life as merchants where no one would know they survive pompeii tragedy , 2 hrs with no payoff 

 

C+

because of visuals and kit harrington killer abs HELLOOOOO   i was like are those real or painted on ? look like you could grate cheese on them 

GoT why are you denying us those abs  ?  so its cold at the wall big deal ...wait a minute jon and ygritte had  a jacuzzi scene , gotta go see if those abs are real

Edited June 1, 2014 by Lady Daenerys SNOW-STARK

[cozmeesah]

It wasn't that the horse couldn't carry them. They knew there was no way the horse could outrun the pyroclastic cloud.There are many photos of him training for the film. You can tell they're real. He worked his ass off. Check the fuckyeahkitharington Tumblr.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

Worst movie of the year. This move looks it should been on the sci-fi channel. This movie was boring, dull, badly acted, no screenplay whats ever and TV visual effects. I had two watch this movie in two sitting just to finish it. I loved Volcano and Dante's Peak as a kid. There was nothing good about this movie. The characters were paper thin. The movie was 20 minutes to long. The explosion of the volcano was dull. I  would rather be hack in high school and be in algebra class than to watch this piece of shit again. 

0.5/5