Pompeii

“Anderson distinguishes himself as the rare action director who shows us real bodies in real space in real reaction to each other, who prizes legibility over quick-cut dazzlement, who stages his fights with comic-book zeal rather than puffed-up graphic-novel miserableness.”

Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice · 100

“Part sword-and-sandal spectacle, part disaster epic, Pompeii accomplishes its ambitious agenda to largely engrossing effect.”

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times · 70

“More fun than any civilization’s fiery extinction should ever be, Paul W.S. Anderson’s Pompeii 3-D is gloriously exciting kitsch – a poor man’s "Titanic" crossed with an even poorer man’s "Gladiator."”

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine (Vulture) · 70

“Fortunately, Pompeii’s second half is tailor-made for Anderson’s established skill set, unfolding over a matter of hours, with many scenes set in and under a gladiatorial amphitheatre that recalls the arenas, subterranean tunnels, and cavernous vessels of Anderson’s best movies.”

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, The A.V. Club · 67

“What Anderson delivers this one time is a genuine spectacle, a gladiator movie with a volcano in the middle of it.”

Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune News Service · 63