Volcano

Rating:
Summary: Non-Stop action and great special audio and video effects.
Review: The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound blows you away. Great non-stop action... and not too dumb of a script. Actually the story (for the most part) is quite credible. Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche do a good job. Jones just keeps getting better with age. I liked this one. My wife liked it too. The special effects were very realistic. I would watch this one again!

Rating:
Summary: This is one of my favorite movies! Two thumbs up!!!!
Review: In this movie Tommy lee jones is at his best A must see family movie!!!

Rating:
Summary: GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT
Review: Really good movie if you like volcano

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Summary: Of all of L.A.'s natural disasters, this one is the worst.
Review: It was awesome. The volcano erupts in the La Brea Tar Pits, are started to pour out lava onto the streets. It's up to Mike Roark and his people to stop the volcano, before it burns straight through Los Angeles.

Rating:
Summary: THIS MOVIE ROCKS!!!!!!
Review: GET THIS MOVIE!!! IT fits in with all the other natural diesaster movies. It had awesome special effects!!!

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Summary: inally, another city besides New York City being destroyed!!
Review: As a fellow New Yorker, almost every single disaster movie features New York City being swept away by a tidal wave ("Deep Impact"). stomped to death by a monster ("Godzilla" [1998]) or being blown up by meteorites ("Armageddon"). "Volcano" focuses on a volcano in Los Angeles. Although the movie was mediocre, I was glad to see that the director was interested in destroying another city other than NYC.

Rating:
Summary: Second-rate Dante's Peak
Review: The movie is entertaining and fun, but not very serious at its subject matter. The effects and suspense have some catching up to do with the superior Dante's Peak.

Rating:
Summary: AN OKAY BUT NOT GREAT ACTION-DISASTER FILCK
Review: VOLCANO with TOMMY LEE JONES AND ANNE HECHE is okay but not great film. I mean the special effects in this film are the only things that save it. I really hated the weak diaolouge between the characters weither they were major or minor it did'nt really grab me and make me want to rally behind these people who were up against nature at it's worst. My advice is if you want a great action-disaster filck see ARMAGEDDON instead.

Rating:
Summary: better than Dantes Peak
Review: Every year there seems to be one topic that film makers are interested in. This year its asteroids.Last year it was volcanoes. Before that it was talking pigs. In my opinion, this movie beats its rival, Dantes Peak, in almost every catogoryIts much more action packed than Dantes Peak, and more suspenceful.But, just like Dantes peak, it as it share of obviously unrealistic scenes, but nobody's perfect.Not bad.(4 STARS OUT OF 5)

Rating:
Summary: Mindless action thriller.
Review: First there was "Twister," which gained audiences by its spectacular visual display of intense special effects that set the standard for realism. Next came "Dante's Peak," which took a serious appraoch to a volcanic eruption with terrific visuals and a credible storyline. Then we have "Volcano," which is a basic like-it-or-hate-it disaster flick in which a volcano erupts in the middle of Los Angeles. The story, let it be known, stretches the envelope immensely, and the special effects are mediocre, but the actors and crew take the movie seriously and treat it that way in their acting and production.

The city of Los Angeles is home to the rich, the indigent, and the good and bad sides of American culture. Everyone has something to do in the big city. Dr. Jaye Calder is an emergency physician with a husband who would rather her show her financial success off through working at another hospital. Mike Roarke is the director of operations at the disaster relief center, and when four city workers are killed in an underground explosion, questions begin to rise as to the nature of the blast. Upon further exploration of the underground tunnel, Roarke employs the services of Dr. Amy Barnes, a local geologist who informs Roarke of the possibility of volcanic activity underneath the city. Soon, all hell breaks loose when the La Brea Tar Pits erupt in a fiery fury of lava and ash that has the entire west side of the city running for their lives, and firefighters and city officials struggling to stop the endless lava flow.

While there are certain scientific elements of the story that are true, the movie does have a high credulity factor that requires audiences to suspend disbelief when the action picks up. The idea that volcanic activity can exist under the city of Los Angeles is a bit preposterous, but nonetheless exciting and enjoyable to watch onscreen. Barnes and Roarke talk a lot about geological activity in general, especially when the lava begins flowing, and for the most part, it seems like the only reason for the technical words and phrases is to keep the fictional action moving and somewhat concealed. But however you take it, the movie is pretty much packed with action and does keep moving.

The special effects do leave a good bit to be desired in comparison to the disaster movies before it. This is due in part to the fact that the movie is mostly lava-laden effects, where as in "Dante's Peak," there was more ash and smoke involved, allowing for better miniature effects. Lava is computer-generated, so it has its moments of reality, but mostly comes off looking cheesy. The first half is the best of the effects show, and the lava pouring down Wilshire looks and moves like real lava. The second half is the cheese fest, and when the lava bursts out of the streets, it makes you think of the movies from the fifties.

There is also a sense that the movie is slightly underachieved throughout. This could've been a big, booming, no-holds-barred disaster movie where a giant looming mountain bursts forth, knocking over skyscrapers and destroying most of th city in a brash explosion of top-notch special effects. Instead, the filmmakers take a routine approach, settling for an obstacle that the characters can easily overcome, and an ending that really doesn't live up to the standards of the rest of the film. This movie had the potential to break all the rules and create something that would amount to nothing but utter shock and awe, but fell into the pitfalls of Hollywood glitz.

No matter what, though, the actors and filmmakers all treat the movie very seriously, and the performances and production all make the film a little better. Tommy Lee Jones plays Mike Roarke, the typical guy who takes everything seriously while trying to raise a daughter. This is Tommy Lee Jones at his better side, playing the hero instead of the jerk like his character in "The Client." Anne Heche is the irrepressible Dr. Amy Barnes, the smart and snappy little vixen geologist who knows exactly what she's talking about when it comes to her field of study; Heche adds authenticity to the role. Gaby Hoffman does what she can with the role of Kelly, Roarke's daughter, who is the stereotypical teenager who is rebellious on the outside, yet wants the safety of a parent in intense situations. Jacqueline Kim is perhaps the best of all, playing Dr. Jaye Calder, who ignores her husband's constant requests that she stop her practice of saving lives in the midst of the mayhem.

In summation, the movie stretches believability, but makes for an acceptable action thriller that does keep a good amount of suspense moving throughout. The performances and acting make it better, though the film is overall underachieved.