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Imagine the movie Titanic, set during Roman times. That's the basic premise behind Pompeii,
a film that features plenty of sword fighting, romance and apocalyptic destruction.
Just like Titanic, we have a pair of star-crossed lovers,
If they catch you up there they'll punish you...
One the rich daughter of a prominent family and the other a slave forced to fight in the
coliseum.
Let the games begin!
Will their love be allowed to blossom or will an evil senator, the traditions of Roman society
and a giant erupting volcano keep them from being together?
Everything about Pompeii feels campy, from the on-the nose dialogue, to the corny performances,
to the big finale with hundreds of extras dying from CG-created fireballs. It's a bit
of slog to get through, but once the volcano starts to erupt, things really get cooking.
By the end of it, I found myself silently cheering on our ill-fated couple as they evade
tidal waves of lava and deadly fireballs.
If you're looking for a guilty-pleasure movie that doesn't ask you to think too much, you
could do a lot worse than Pompeii.
I'm John at the Movies.