Amazon.com video review:
The first of 1997's volcano disaster movies (the second being Volcano) was arguably the
better of the two, but both of them made for passable entertainment with
some spectacular special effects to serve as icing on the stale cake. After
all, Dante's Peak doesn't pretend to be anything more than an
updated variation on a whole catalog of disaster movie clichés. Despite
all that, it's reasonably enjoyable. It's an added bonus that the script is
just smart enough to allow Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton to play their
roles with straight faces, never condescending to the audience of the
formulaic story. He's a volcano expert from the U.S. Geological Survey, and
she's the mayor of a cozy Washington State town perched beneath a volcano
that's about to blow. Telltale signs are everywhere, so evacuation must be
carried out immediately. Of course, not everybody's eager to leave, and
even some of Brosnan's colleagues think his alarm is premature. This sets
the stage for massive ash clouds, rivers of raging mud and molten rock,
flattened forests, and death-defying escapes by Brosnan, Hamilton, and some
(but not all) of her family, friends, and townsfolk. So what if it's all
pretty flaky... and can a four-wheel-drive vehicle travel over fire and
molten lava without bursting its tires? Don't ask too many questions, and
you'll find Dante's Peak to be (if you'll pardon the pun) a total blast.
The Collector's Edition DVD includes a documentary about volcanoes,
Getting Close to the Show, in addition to behind-the-scenes footage,
exclusive coverage of the creation of special effects, and audio commentary
with director Roger Donaldson. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com video review:
How long will truck tires last on top of molten lava? A
surprising amount of time, apparently, according to this wild and
wildly improbable disaster movie. Pierce Brosnan stars as a government
geologist who shows up in a small Washington town to check out an
active volcano, and in doing so gets in the way of the
local-development agenda of the mayor (Linda Hamilton). Mother Nature
soon levels the playing field, however, quite literally, as the pair
and sundry kids and others try to keep ahead of the volcano's many
spin-off problems. Roger Donaldson (The Bounty)
directed, and if the film is remembered for nothing else, its special
effects are unnervingly realistic, no doubt drawn in part from
research into the Mount St. Helens disaster. The DVD release has a
widescreen presentation, director commentary, behind-the-scenes
material, and optional French and Spanish soundtracks, plus optional
Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh
Amazon.com video review:
The first of 1997's volcano disaster movies (the second being
Volcano) was arguably the
better of the two, but both of them made for passable entertainment with
some spectacular special effects to serve as icing on the stale cake. After
all, Dante's Peak doesn't pretend to be anything more than an
updated variation on a whole catalog of disaster movie clichés. Despite
all that, it's reasonably enjoyable. It's an added bonus that the script is
just smart enough to allow Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton to play their
roles with straight faces, never condescending to the audience of the
formulaic story. He's a volcano expert from the U.S. Geological Survey, and
she's the mayor of a cozy Washington State town perched beneath a volcano
that's about to blow. Telltale signs are everywhere, so evacuation must be
carried out immediately. Of course, not everybody's eager to leave, and
even some of Brosnan's colleagues think his alarm is premature. This sets
the stage for massive ash clouds, rivers of raging mud and molten rock,
flattened forests, and death-defying escapes by Brosnan, Hamilton, and some
(but not all) of her family, friends, and townsfolk. So what if it's all
pretty flaky... and can a four-wheel-drive vehicle travel over fire and
molten lava without bursting its tires? Don't ask too many questions, and
you'll find Dante's Peak to be (if you'll pardon the pun) a total blast.
--Jeff Shannon
