Volcano

STUPID: This word sufficiently describes the movie as a general whole. I'm not commenting on the possibility of a volcano erupting in California (I'm not a geologist!). I'm commenting on everything else. The plot is unbelievably weak, and all the subplots are even weaker. Characters didn't act like people; they acted like...well, who knows what they acted like? How do cardboard cutouts act like? I found it very difficult to care about anything that was going on. One of the best examples was where they were causing a building to fall to divert the flow of lava. The character played by Tommy Lee saw his daughter in the building's path, and he rushes to save her. Guess what? They emerge from the scene alive! Ugh! Which brings me to my next point:

BAD: The acting was painfully bad. Tommy Lee, the same man who impressed me in "The Fugitive" and "Men in Black" loses a lot of respect by being in this movie. And the other actors? Just as bad. There is virtually no chemistry between the characters, which only makes things worse, and scenes that are supposed to be emotional fall flat. And this brings us to the final point:

PAINFUL: The dialogue in the movie is just that. It's so forced, so unnatural, that I nearly fell sick. And the times it tries to be so philosophical and tear-jerking...even more painful. The best example is near the end, where everyone is covered in ash and dust and therefore colored gray. A little boy looking for his mother says something like "Look. Everyone looks the same." Now, I know this was supposed to be referring to everyone's symbolic unification, despite gender or history or ethnic background, to stop the lava from destroying everything...but it was so bad I felt like crying, crying at how low filmmaking had fallen.

"Volcano" is not worth anyone's time. It has nothing to draw anyone's interest, because everything just falls flat. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this slush pile of a film.


A First Rate Disaster Film, Never Dull For A Moment   May 3, 2000
8 out of 10 found this review helpful

"Volcano" is a first rate disaster film, it is exciting all the way through to the very end. The effects are very good the compliment the movie well. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche turn in good performaneces. Out of all the disaster films released in the 1990's this one is the best.


Jones & Co. Make It Work   July 24, 2002
Reviewer
7 out of 9 found this review helpful

Without question, movies can be educational and informative; a powerful medium, the cinema inherently encourages global communications and creates a common thread that binds the nations of the world together. But lest we forget, the primary function of the motion picture is entertainment-- and one of the tried and true approaches to effecting that end successfully is taking a hypothetical situation and presenting it in story form by employing all of the talent and technology available that will make it as real as possible. And when it's done right, it provides the audience with a memorable experience while affording a respite from the daily grind, which is exactly what "Volcano," directed by Mick Jackson does. it's a film that asks, "What if?" and then answers it's own question in a way that's exciting and purely entertaining. It does call upon the audience to suspend disbelief, however, and there are those who will draw a haughty breath and laugh at the idea of a volcano erupting in Los Angeles and will refuse to give this story a chance; bear in mind, however, that it's these very same pseudo-intellectuals who, prior to May 18th, 1980, scoffed and disdainfully dismissed out-of-hand even the possibility that Mount St. Helens could erupt during our lifetime. So, put it into that kind of perspective, if you can, then sit back and relax and let this movie do what it was meant to do: Entertain you. And on a grand scale.

Waiting for the "big one" to hit may be a way of life for those living in California, especially in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, but suddenly there's some pronounced seismic activity in the L.A. area, and when a crew of city workers are scalded to death while performing a task underground, it falls to Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones), who works for the city and whose job it is to know these things, to figure out what's going on. Roark quickly secures the assistance of Dr. Amy Barnes (Anne Heche), a geologist, who uncovers evidence that a "geological event" is in progress, which means some decisions are going to have to be made by Roark, and fast. Inexplicably, there are indications of volcanic activity in the downtown area, in the vicinity of the La Brea Tar Pits. And Roark doesn't have time to plan ahead; in fact, he's already out of time-- the earth has decided it's time to make a move, and it's not asking permission.

Working from a screenplay by Jerome Armstrong and Billy Ray that's about as good as it gets for a story like this, director Jackson tempers the action and the incredible F/X with the human element, and that gives this film some teeth. Wisely, Jackson realizes that the audience has to relate to and care about the people involved, or his film will be nothing more than a huge Fourth of July fireworks display; and while it may be a good one, it's not enough to give his project legs. So he takes care to maintain the kind of balance that insures his film will reach and appeal to a wide audience-- and he succeeds. Depicting a cataclysmic event on screen is a challenge, and for it to work, Jackson has to keep it at least within the realm of possibility. There are those who will embrace it more readily than others-- those who have experienced an earthquake, tornado, hurricane or some such devastating event; those who have not may find it harder to become involved with what's unfolding on the screen. But rest assured, Jackson and his team have done everything humanly possible to make this viable entertainment for everyone. In the end, the filmmakers have done a terrific job of it, and should be commended for maintaining a standard of quality, rather than using this as an opportunity to exploit an unsuspecting public by offering a product unworthy of support.

Jackson's conscientious approach is aided greatly by a cast of consummate professionals, all of whom do their part in maintaining the quality of the picture, beginning with Tommy Lee Jones, who has demonstrated in film after film that he is an actor who gives 110% every time. Even in a bad film you will be hard put to find a performance by Jones that is not convincing. In his case, it's obviously a combination of talent and work ethic; if his name is on the label, it's like a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval-- you know you're getting a quality product, and his portrayal here of Roark is no exception. Jones creates a character who is believable, playing Roark as the ordinary person in an extraordinary situation and making it entirely credible. He immerses himself so totally in the role that he makes it look easy. And when it looks that easy, it's not-- and you can take that to the bank. It's a good job by Jones, and a big part of why this movie works so well.

Anne Heche, too, gives a solid performance as Dr. Barnes, and like Jones makes the ordinary person in an extraordinary situation scenario believable. And it's gratifying to see actors of this caliber going that extra mile to create this kind of realism, when it would be so easy for them just to walk or "camp" their way through a film like this, which, of course, would reduce it to a big-budget F/X extravaganza. This is good work for which Heche (as well as Jones and the others involved here) will never get the kind of acclaim she deserves, however, inasmuch as this is a "genre" film and unworthy of any "artistic" consideration (or so the officious declare).

The supporting cast includes Gaby Hoffman (Kelly), Don Cheadle (Emmit), Jacqueline Kim (Dr. Calder), John Carroll Lynch (Stan) and Keith David (Lieutenant Fox), all of whom contribute to the success of "Volcano," a film that will make you think twice about possibilities, and the forces of nature.