It’s always nice when studios release their Super Bowl spots online before the big game actually airs. Not only does it make it easier on us bloggers, but believe it or not, some people could care less about watching the Super Bowl, like myself. In recent years, we’ve been seeing this trend more and more and 2014 is no different. Over the past couple of days all the big studios have been dropping their spots online and Sony is the latest to do so, delivering to us their Super Bowl spots for Pompeii and The Monuments Men.
These are two films that I’m quite curious about. Let’s start with Pompeii though. As the title indicates, it focuses on the famous volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed the city. Pretty good material for a film, right? You also have talented actors like Kit Harington, Kiefer Sutherland and Jared Harris on board. But then we see that the director is Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Death Race, The Three Musketeers). So that’s the first red flag. Then there’s the fact that despite seeming like a perfectly good summer blockbuster, Sony dumped the film into February. Though not as bad as January, February is still know for having its fair share of duds.
Admittedly, the footage we’ve seen from Pompeii indicates that the film could provide some solid, mindless entertainment that might be worth the price of admission. Until I see the full thing though, or at least read some reviews, I’m going to remain skeptical. After all, there’s a very good chance that this could turn into another Legend of Hercules.
As for The Monuments Men. This is a film that had Oscar written all over it, until it was delayed and given a February release date. That sort of move, for a project like this, usually spells trouble. Early reviews have been somewhat mixed but with a cast this good (George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman), I can’t imagine too much going wrong.
Check out the spots for both Pompeii and The Monuments Men below and let us know what you think in the comments section.