Pompeii directed by Paul W. S. Anderson (2014), is an film about the ash buried city of Pompeii of ancient times with a driving story of a aristocratic young woman and a gladiator who end up falling for each other from a distance but then are brought together through small random events and the cataclysmic ending of the city. They honestly didn’t need the underlying love portion for the story to work and possibly would’ve been stronger without it. Just two people from different stations in ancient Roman society trying to escape this all consuming volcano and then don’t but face death head on with courage and fear. Not every story has to be a love story. It can just be a people story. The love portion just allowed for certain decisions to happen in an easy way. It felt lazy. Again, it could’ve been a stronger story without the love piece. However, it is an interesting take and showing of how the city was consumed. I enjoyed that portion a lot. Overall, worth a one time watch for the destruction of the city from an inside view.
Watched on Netflix.
Grizzly Era Studios 