Dante's Peak - Collector's Edition
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Movie Reviews of Dante's Peak - Collector's Edition
Movie Review: Gripping!
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Excellent movie with a realistic twist.
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Above-average acting, good plot, excellent special effects
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember seeing this movie in the theater, and I think the signature moment, for whatever reason, was when the elevated ramp leading onto the interstate buckled and collapsed during the volcanic earthquake preceding the main eruption. It was so unexpected, so horrific (people in cars plunging to their death when the road literally falls out from beneath them), and yet so realistic -- this would obviously happen during an earthquake. The entire earthquake sequence was so violent and devastating -- the way buildings just collapsed outward into the street, etc. It was awesome to watch on the big screen. The pyroclastic flow was remarkably well-done -- a volcanic eruption is among the most viciously powerful displays in nature, and the filmmakers did an exceedingly good job of showing this. I agree with numerous other reviewers that the "driving over the molten lava" was completely ridiculous -- the tires indeed melted, but I would think the gas tank would explode, and just the sheer heat would cause the vehicle itself to fail structurally. Oh well. The dog leaping into the truck at the last possible second was inordinately cheesy, as was Pierce Brosnan's "oh you rascally little scamp!" facial expression when this happened. The whole sequence is horrible, truly. Apart from those few minutes, however, the movie is very enjoyable and well-paced. I seriously doubt a vehicle without tires (or even with them) could outrun a pyroclastic flow through narrow town streets, but they managed to make it look pretty realistic all the same. Brosnan and Linda Hamilton both turned in really good performances. Hamilton was particularly effective and believable as a town mayor, a vulnerable woman abandoned by her husband, and a good mother. The kids were entirely convincing, too, and their presence added a great element to the story (much like the two kids in Jurassic Park did). For the squeamish, there's a part at the end where Brosnan's character suffers a compound fracture of his arm bone, and it's grisly to see. I shudder every time. All in all, this is a great movie, very escapist, and although completely fabricated in some ways, altogether scientific and realistic in others. The music is also great and fits in very well. Highly recommended.Movie Review: An excellent natural disaster flick.
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw DANTE'S PEAK in science class and it's very good! Pierce Brosnan (the new James Bond), stars as Harry Dalton, a geologist (an expert on volcanos) who comes to this beautiful town in Washington state that's highly populated to research a volcano next to the town which is said to be extinct, but Harry discovers that this volcano is still active, and it's only a matter of short time when this volcano will erupt. Harry tries to get the town's attention, but hardly anybody believes him except for the town's mayor, Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton), until it is too late. Now, Harry does whatever he can to save Rachel (whom he's secretly falling in love with), her two young children, and the children's grandmother and get them out of the town and far away from the volcano. Harry desparately tries to get Rachel and her family to safety because several years ago, his wife died while they were trying to escape another erupting volcano and doesn't want the same thing happening to Rachel. Yes, this is a natural disaster movie and some of it is politically incorrect, but it is still a fun movie to watch. The performances are especially excellent, especially by Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, and the two children. The visual and sound effects are truly superb and a thrill ride! There is a good storyline to it, as well. DANTE'S PEAK will keep you on the edge of your seat.
This collector's edition DVD is awesome! It has behind-the-scenes, deleated scenes, interviews, and much more. The sound on the DVD is top quality, and so is the picture quality. If you are into natural disaster flicks, then DANTE'S PEAK is for you!
Movie Review: The closest you can get to a volcanic reality!
Summary: 5 Stars
even if you are in the theater just for the movie, it will teach you alot about the stages of a volcanic eruption. it clearly states the 6 stages of a volcanic eruption:
1. sulphurus acid
2. pollution of underground water
3. sismac activitey
4. ashes
5. lava
6. volcanic eruption or explosion (volcanic explosions are rarer than eruption)
now thats 5 stars for the "education"
now the actors did a great job too, you really get the fealing that they were in a disaster, not that you don't get that in any movie of this type, thats because usually the actuall enviorment of disaster is better than the acting. here is were pierce brosnan and linda hamilton save the day. linda hamilton in the movie is the mayor of dante and has two kids that she has to take care of during the disaster and pierce brosnan is trying to convince the town that the volcano can be dangerous, when his boss sais that he can't evacuate a whole town based on one event (the melting of a couple in sulphurus acid mixed in water). now if the actors would try to get away with their jobs by using the enviorment, it would be too obvious they were faking it.
thats 5 stars for the acting.
the special effects were amazing! you'd think you were watching national geographic, video taping an eruption!
thats 5 stars for the special effects.
this movie is great for both people, one that whants to know more about volcanos and the ather one that is there for a good action movie.