Dante's Peak (B or 3/4 stars)
Last year gave us Twister. This year, the disaster flick to see is 'Dante's Peak', directed by Roger Donaldson. Volcanologist Harry Dalton (Pierce Brosnan) lost his fiancee 4 yrs. ago when they were studying an erupting volcano in Colombia. Because of that incident, Harry has become an extremely jumpy geologist; always thinking the most minor mountain activity could lead to something catastrophic. And when something registers at a dormant mountain overlooking the small Washington state town of Dante's Peak, Harry & his team head there to discuss evacuation plans with the mayor, Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton).
Though Dante's Peak has been named the 2nd most desirable place to live in America (and will profit by booming real estate numbers), she understands Harry's concern & believes him when he says how dangerous the situation is. But the others on the town council are quite hesitant. Further distractions come from Harry's colleagues & boss, Paul Dreyfus (Charles Hallahan). Paul, not wanting to cause a political/economic shake-up (by spreading panic without scientific evidence), calls off said evacuation. So, what happens next? Well, in order to have a story, the inevitable eruption occurs. Chaos ensues. People die. Many more are in danger. And it's up to Harry, his crew, Rachel, & her family to stop collateral damage & save Dante's Peak.
I liked 'Dante's Peak' just fine. The plot may be paper thin, the dialogue is cheesy, & it takes a while for any big "kaboom"-ish action to start. But the build-up to those "kabooms" is solid. The main characters are likeable. Pierce Brosnan & Linda Hamilton (SO good in Terminator 2) have nice chemistry (even amid the disaster of the eruption, you just knew there'd be a romantic subplot thrown in, haha). We don't really learn anything too deep about them. But this is a disaster flick. Since when has character development been a priority?
As far as the action goes, it's both thrilling & tension-filled. As soon as the mountain blows, we are treated to a great sound & special effects show (explosions, rain, fire, mudslides, ash, lava, etc.). In fact, one of the most memorable scenes involves some characters trying to make it in a small, sinking boat across a lake of burning lava. If I have any glaring problem with the movie it's that I feel like I've seen this type of movie before. Even 1996's Twister was better. And so, 'Dante's Peak' is a bit formulaic, a little melodramatic, but is basically a 'good' action flick with rootable characters. Standard mainstream entertainment.
Though Dante's Peak has been named the 2nd most desirable place to live in America (and will profit by booming real estate numbers), she understands Harry's concern & believes him when he says how dangerous the situation is. But the others on the town council are quite hesitant. Further distractions come from Harry's colleagues & boss, Paul Dreyfus (Charles Hallahan). Paul, not wanting to cause a political/economic shake-up (by spreading panic without scientific evidence), calls off said evacuation. So, what happens next? Well, in order to have a story, the inevitable eruption occurs. Chaos ensues. People die. Many more are in danger. And it's up to Harry, his crew, Rachel, & her family to stop collateral damage & save Dante's Peak.
I liked 'Dante's Peak' just fine. The plot may be paper thin, the dialogue is cheesy, & it takes a while for any big "kaboom"-ish action to start. But the build-up to those "kabooms" is solid. The main characters are likeable. Pierce Brosnan & Linda Hamilton (SO good in Terminator 2) have nice chemistry (even amid the disaster of the eruption, you just knew there'd be a romantic subplot thrown in, haha). We don't really learn anything too deep about them. But this is a disaster flick. Since when has character development been a priority?
As far as the action goes, it's both thrilling & tension-filled. As soon as the mountain blows, we are treated to a great sound & special effects show (explosions, rain, fire, mudslides, ash, lava, etc.). In fact, one of the most memorable scenes involves some characters trying to make it in a small, sinking boat across a lake of burning lava. If I have any glaring problem with the movie it's that I feel like I've seen this type of movie before. Even 1996's Twister was better. And so, 'Dante's Peak' is a bit formulaic, a little melodramatic, but is basically a 'good' action flick with rootable characters. Standard mainstream entertainment.