Rating: 
Summary: Underrated if formula laden disaster movie
Review: Pierce Brosnan is the main reason for recommending this movie, (although the whole movie does have a polished feel) as a battle hardened Vulcanologist sent to investigate some unusual readings in peaceful upper Washington State. Soon after his arrival he becomes alarmed at what he discovers, and dutifully informs the authorities of impending disaster who choose (of course) to ignore him, in time honored fashion. Although you know pretty much what is going to happen thereafter, this movie is pretty gripping, and was arguably better than "Volcano" with Tommy Lee Jones, which was released around the same time. Yes, it's riddled with cliches, and has an essential mixture of characters you might find in any disaster based story, but it has a certain something that gives it a more dramatic feel. Linda Hamilton of Terminator fame is the love interest/only person sensible enough to believe Mr Brosnan, and around the mid way point the story changes (reliably almost) into an escape flick. One or two scenes of intense peril, make this unsuitable for smaller children, but otherwise it's fairly tame. Considering the year of production the special effects are pretty amazing, and the acting all round adds more than credibility to the storyline. Although others will I'm sure disagree, this is a far better picture than say, the more recent Day After Tomorrow for not relying solely on good visuals, and is testament to the fact that a good story, makes for a good movie. Worth a revisit even if you've seen it before, and a decent amount of extra's on the DVD make it worth a purchase. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Believable love story with volcanic diversions
Review: Brief outline of plot: USGS finds evidence that a volcano in Washington State might be about to wake up, so sends in 007 (whoops, sorry, volcanologist Harry Dalton played by Pierce Brosnan) to investigate. He finds a nice little town and heightened activity in the form of gas emissions and acidity in the freshwater lake: also a couple of parboiled bodies in a hot spring. On the strength of this he predicts an imminent major eruption. He also starts to fall in love with the interesting lady mayor (single mum, successful cafe owner), and she with him. His boss arrives, calms things down, takes some more readings and concludes there won't be an eruption, at least not immediately. Boss is about to leave when Harry D notices something funny in the water (sulphur!), an observation which unfortunately interrupts a promising stayover with the mayor. So it's a true bill after all. Volcano erupts using quite gripping special effects, Harry D shepherds new love and her family through the ensuing chaos, finally ending up sheltering from a pyroclastic flow of Armageddon proportions (the best of the special effects and very thrilling) in a disused mine. Harry and family rescued so all ends happily ever after (at least for them, though one wonders about the rest of the inhabitants...)
Contrary to many reviewers, I find the relationship between Hugh Dalton (Pierce Brosnan) and Mayor Wando (Linda Hamilton) to be the most interesting thing about this film - it's almost a shame the volcano interrupts them. Interesting because the characters come across as natural and everyday (despite the male lead's glamorous occupation): if you watch you might come away thinking that, well, 'romance could happen to me just like this', even if not under these precise circumstances of course. The children are good also, as is the slightly tiresome mother-in-law: you get the real feel of a decent, ordinary family sustained by a hardworking breadwinner. (As the mayor says in reply to Dalton's wondering if she ever relaxes: 'Fun. What's that, fun? Oh, I know, it's when you don't have a business, a town and a family to run...'). I find it wholesome in the best (ie not holier-than-thou, priggish or preachy) sense of that word. As for the special effects, they are good and do get the pulse racing: however having seen a number of real volcanoes(albeit not erupting on this scale!), I find that even good special effects pale beside witnessing the real thing. So I find I tend to note them and then pass on to other things in the film.
I give 'Dante's Peak' 4 stars rather than 5 partly because I think there are missed opportunities and partly because some of it is rather implausible. I think it highly unlikely that anyone could predict an eruption with confidence having made the number of observations 'Harry Dalton' did early on in the film. Some reviewers found Harry's boss curmudgeonly: I think myself he was being very properly cautious when you consider the amount of harm a false alarm can cause. Also, the timescale building up to a major catastrophe is usually far longer than the fortnight or so allowed by 'Dante's Peak'. Mount St Helens for instance woke up in March 1980 with the cataclysm not coming till May. Krakatau (1883) woke up in May and exploded at the end of August, about nine weeks later. Finally, could not more have been made of the potential rivalry between the business investor (Elliot Blair of 'Blair Industries') and the volcanologist for the hand of the feisty lady mayor? Blair was clearly interested in her, and a conflict between him and the relatively impecunious but more glamorous volcanologist might have made for a lot more interest. I also don't think a truck (even 4WD) could have survived that long on top of semi-molten lava at probably 900+ or even 1100 Centigrade - he might just have got away with it if he'd not stalled, but not otherwise: his fuel tank would surely have blown up!
It's not profound or art-house cinema (grounds on which some of my acquaintances would criticise it), but then it doesn't pretend to be. If you want some pleasant relaxation including a highly plausible love story and spectacular special effects then buy this film, and give it a go after a hard day at the workplace.
Rating: 
Summary: A GREAT LOVE STORY BROUGHT ABOUT BY A VOLCANO
Review: Excellent love stories are hard to find on film.
This is one of the excellent ones.
By-passing any criticism this one of the top love stories with the back-drop of the action of the volcano.
Excellent acting by all even the children - and that dog.
Again, one of the few men that can portray emotion with out have to act it out - gentleness, tenderness, emotion.
Action is great - whew! I could even smell the sulphur.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --- definitely a keeper!
Rating:
Summary: The closest you can get to a volcanic reality!
Review: Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton star in this explosive movie about the town of Dante's Peak, where a long-dormant volcano is about to erupt with devastating force.
Brosnan stars as Harry Dalton. He works for the U.S. Geological Survey office studying volcanoes. He's notified of seismic activity occuring near Dante's Peak and he's sent to investigate. Hamilton stars as Rachel Wando, the mayor of Dante's Peak. Dante's Peak has recently been named as the second most desireable place to live in the United States with a population less than 20,000.
Soon, Harry and Rachel meet, and she shows him around the town. Next, they drive up to the mountain so Harry can do some tests to determine if there's a chance of an eruption. Two burnt bodies are discovered in a spring on the mountain. Meanwhile, Harry reports to his boss that the whole area should be monitored. Carbon dioxide in the soil is killing plants and animals, and the water has turned acidic. Rachel calls a city council meeting, and Harry recommends evacuating the area, much to the displeasure of the council. A new industry is locating to Dante's Peak, and the council fears that they will pull out due to the concern surrounding the volcano.
Paul Dreyfus, Harry's Boss, played by Charles Hallahan, arrives in the town and he feels an alert is not needed. The crew stays to monitor the condition of the mountain and to run more tests. Harry still believes that the volcano is dangerous.
Readings are taken at the mountain, and all levels appear normal. No eruption is expected to happen. Meanwhile, Harry and Rachel have grown closer to each other.
A special type pf machine is lowered down into the volcano to take more precise readings. The machine malfunctions, and Terry, one of the scientists, goes down to investigate. Just at that moment, an earthquake strikes and destroys the machine. Terry is trapped under the rubble with a broken leg. A helicopter is flown in to rescue Terry and Harry. Once on the ground, Harry and Paul have another confrontation. Harry still believes that the volcano is going to erupt. Paul believes that there's still nothing to worry about and informs Harry that the crew that they're pulling out.
Harry and Rachel get set to spend a last night together when Harry discovers that the water contains sulfur dioxide after Rachel's tap water is found to be contaminated. He is able to convince Paul that something is definitely wrong. The town is then put on alert and evacuation plans are made. Ruth, Rachel's mother in law, lives on the mountain, but she refuses to evacuate her home. As soon as an informational town meeting has been called, the volcano begins to erupt. Chaos and panic occur as people try to get to safety.
Harry and Rachel leave to rescue Rachel's children. However, the children have taken Rachel's truck to rescue their grandmother. After some near misses from trees and rocks, Harry and Rachel manage to get to Ruth's home and rescue the children. They all manage to escape in the nick of time as molten lava engulfs the house. Their only hope of escape is to take a motorboat across the lake, but the volcanic activity has turned the water to acid, and its eating the metal of the boat away. Soon, the motor's prop is gone, stalling the boat. Ruth leaps into the acid water and pulls the boat to safety. Despite saving the children, Rachel, and Harry, Ruth's legs are badly burned from the acid, and she dies on her mountain.
The National Guard arrives, and everyone in the town is evacuated to safety, but Paul is still there. There's only one bridge left standing over the river. The National Guard vehicles make it, but Paul is less fortunate. Rachel, Harry, and the children manage to get off the mountain in a hot-wired pickup truck.
The volcano finally erupts in all its fury, and trees and houses are destroyed as though they were toys. Now trapped underground, will Harry, Rachel, and the children survive, or is it too late?
I found this to be an exciting movie. The special effects are very good, especially the eruptions and the subsequent ash cloud which levels the trees and houses. The acting is good and the story keeps you on edge throughout the movie. I recommend this movie very highly. The special effects will blow you away.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie with a realistic twist.
Review: Many seem to have hashed "Volcano" which came out around the same time as "Dante's Peak" and it's a shame because both of them are highly realistic and te things that happen in them could literally happen in real life. Both of them are really excellent disaster flicks and are enough to really make you `think' but even then they deliver incredible amounts of entertainment. In all honesty though, "Dante's Peak" is more realistic and has a more compelling twist to it due to the volcano's more destructive power. In this case, a small town is thriving in the mountains of Washington state and has recently been declared one of the best places to live in in the United States. Dr. Harry Dalton, a scientist is sent to the vicinity to survey unusually high geological activity but one day he makes an alarming discovery that the volcano that the town sits on the base of, has come back to life and geological surveys have cofirmed that Dante's Peak is about to erupt in a cataclysmic eruption and wipe out the town and it's people. Rachel Wando, the town's mayor along with Dalton now must try to evacuate the town before the volcano erupts but their safety is stifled by their economic interests. This is a really excellent and highly compelling movie. The special effects are absolutely thrilling and highly realistic and the movie's plot and script are very good. The lava and plumes of ash and dust are highly realistic looking and scary to watch as the volcano starts spewing out it's contents into the atmosphere and surrounding vicinity. The characters are excellent even though the acting could've been a little better but the acting for the most part is excellent by almost if not the entire cast. I was thrilled to see this on the big screen because I have had a longtime fascination with volcanoes for almost my entire life and "Dante's Peak" succeeds in delivering a thrilling tone and is very enjoyable for most of its length. The DTS edition is absolutely incredible because the sound quality is a gargantuan improvement on both the VHS and older DVD editions and if you have a stereo system with speakers all around you, then hook them up and the surround audio speakers will make you feel almost like you're back at the movie theatre with the awesome sound quality. If you can, get this movie whenever possible because it is a really excellent natural disaster thriller and delivers far more scares than these so called `horror' movies because most of them are just mindless gorefests that are more gross than scary but "Dante's Peak" is scary because it is so realistic and such things could happen and could turn out much worse. For example Mt. Rainier near Seattle could erupt at any time and cause a lot of damage nearby and Seattle may be choked with dust if a full blown eruption occurs even though the city and most of its suburbs would pull through relatively unscathed apart from having a snow of volcanic ashes but it could cause social instability. Even Mt. St. Helen's caused a great deal of destruction and wiped out a large amount of forests around it. "Dante's Peak" is an excellent movie that should not be passed up. End of story.
Rating: 
Summary: Thar She Blows
Review: Ever since seeing the preview, I have wanted to see Dante's Peak. While waiting for it to be released, a second film called Volcano suddenly popped up. Dante's Peak had Pierce Brosnan (playing a character named Dalton) and Volcano had Tommy Lee Jones. Peak also had the creative talents of Michael Crichton. Volcano had none. But, having finally seen Dante's Peak I have to say that Volcano was the better movie. Brosnan is part of a national team that keeps an eye on volcanic activity. He is sent to the town of Dante's Peak to see if there is reason for further testing. He goes, he looks and he becomes convinced that the sleeping volcano will blow sometime soon. Unfortunately he has no real evidence. The rest of the team arrives and they can find no justifiable evidence. Guess what? Brosnan is right and the volcano blows. There is a rather amusing scene where in order to survive the shockwave, Brosnan and the town's mayor must seek shelter in some unstable mines (an idea that only works when the alternative is certain death). In the end there is no town but almost no casualties thanks to Brosnan and the rest of the team. The scenes with the volcano erupting were quite spectacular but they were not enough to carry the film. It is an almost intellectual endeavor as opposed to the pulse-pounding of Crichton's previous film Twister. Obviously meant to ride the wave of Twister's success, Dante's Peak fails to make the grade. In Twister we cared about the research team and their work. In Peak all we are concerned with is how soon everyone will be convinced the volcano is unstable. Plus, several twisters buoy up a film better than one volcano (unless handled as it was in Volcano). So go ahead and see Dante's Peak if you want but you will probably agree that there is something just not right.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping!
Review: While it contains remarkably realistic special effects, those who have been told that "Dante's Peak" is merely a piece of "eye candy" can consider themselves among the woefully misinformed. It isn't a simple sugar-coated snack to be consumed and hastily digested; it is an elaborately composed symphony of a film. It contains riveting performances, breathtaking locales, a captivating love story and an extremely agile dog. Thus, the "eye candy" label would be ill-suited for this particularly film and more properly directed at other assembly-line disaster movies. Reader, I assure you, after one viewing you will understand: to watch "Dante's Peak" is to have your retinas treated to 109 minutes of cinematic fillet mignon. The story involves the charmingly quaint town of Dante's Peak and its charmingly quaint inhabitants. While the town is the embodiment of peace and tranquility, there is trouble brewing beneath the surface. Geologist Harry Dalton (played with unwavering masculinity by Pierce Brosnan) and Mayor Rachel Wando (played with unwavering masculinity by Linda Hamilton) believe the town in danger of being destroyed by an unexpected eruption from the presumed-dormant neighboring volcano. Their quest to rescue the town meets resistance in the form of a stubborn city counsel, Dalton's ignorant boss and, of course, an enormous volcano. It should be noted that "Dante's Peak" is the perfect star-vehicle for Pierce Brosnan. He is pitch-perfect as the resolute Dalton. In fact, it occurred to me while watching the film that nobody other than Brosnan could have played the role (he just looks like a "Harry Dalton," doesn't he?). In the face of Mother Nature's wrath, Brosnan provides the searing rivers of magma with a worthy human adversary. Early in the movie, his character is introduced vigorously doing a grueling set of pushups. Seeing this, we immediately think, `The volcano doesn't stand a chance.' Indeed, Brosnan is a force of nature all his own. The film itself is an uplifting one; a tribute to the human spirit. The only thing which disappoints me is that a sequel has yet to materialize. Years have passed since the film's initial release and it has failed to escape the consciousness of movie-goers. "Dante's Peak" has given us such rich characters and wonderfully-realized scenarios, who wouldn't want to witness the further exploits of Harry Dalton & Friends? Personally, upon first viewing the film, I envisioned a trilogy. I could imagine a sequel where the U.S. government calls Dalton out of retirement to stop the potential volcanic eruption of Mount Rushmore. Perhaps in the third installment Dalton & Co. could be thrust into the deep unknown of outer space as they investigate the unusual seismic activity of a dormant volcano on Mars. These sequels, I believe, would prove to be lucrative for the studio while also satiating the overwhelming public thirst for more "Dante's Peak." Regardless of how many sequels are made, the original film will always remain a classic. A skillfully-crafted spectacle filled with wonderful performances and indelible images, you don't have to be a geologist to realize that "Dante's Peak" is a gem.
|
