Review of Dante's Peak (1997) by James W — 03 Jan 2014

This has been a family favourite ever since we saw it in 2000, we love all disaster movies whether's it volcanoes, meteorites, tidal waves or earthquake. Dante's Peak remains one of the most memorable for all us, and today I have watched it for the first time in years and it is still tense, dramatic and suitably dark.

Pierce Brosnan snaps out of Bond mode and plays Harry Dalton, a volcanologist who is sent to the town of Dante's Peak to monitor the volcanoes activity, once there he demands the town be put under warning but his superiors disagree.

As hot springs heat up, water turns to sulphur and minor quakes turn to major, the people of Dante's Peak listen to Harry's warning, but they are too late. I'll admit this is a cliche movie, you've got the opening backstory to the main story, the geeky research team, the asshole boss, the ignorant sheriffs and old family disputes, but to me this is all thrown in their to distract you from what comes.

This is a magnificent disaster movie, Director Roger Donaldson's keep the momentum fierce, the camera is shaky mimicking the quakes, throw this in with superb special effects and you get one hell of a final act that sees panic, fear and chaos set in.

James Newton Howard's soundtrack is so dark and rightfully so. The shot of the highway collapsing is jaw dropping, and the magma and acidic lakes are terrifying, but the best moment of tension is when Harry, Rachel, her kids and Ruth flee across a lake in a boat, but the acid in the water chews up their boat, the water leaks in slowly, it is so nail biting and hard to watch, as is the moment Ruth risks her life to save the others by jumping into the water and pushing the boat.

I won't lie the scene where Ruth dies brought a tear, it was very sad. This is a stupendous disaster flick, loved every minute of it and the cast are excellent, full on entertainment.