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Rating: **½
Genre: Disaster Drama MPAA: PG-13 Review #: 16 Cast: Directed by...Mimi Leder Written by...Bruce Joel Rubin Written by...Michael Tolkin Robert Duvall...Spurgeon "Fish" Tanner
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Review:
There were two meteor movies released during the summer of '98. There was "Armageddon", and "Deep Impact". Working at a video store, I've had to figure out some way to quickly and simply describe the difference between the two. I always say that "Armageddon" is primarily a light-hearted action flick, while "Deep Impact" is mainly a drama. Which one is better? Well, that depends on what you're expecting. "Armageddon" is a more entertaining movie, with great special effects, and lots of laughs, "Deep Impact" tries to be realistic, and focus on character development. I've had people return "Armageddon", and complain about how unrealistic it was, but I've never had that happen with "Deep Impact" (Maybe because nobody ever rents it!) "Armageddon" requires that you check your brain at the door, which makes it so that you don't really notice all of the glaring mistakes in the plot or continuity. Just sit back and smile. "Deep Impact", on the other hand, deals with events on Earth, and wants you to think (but still not too much). |
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| Maybe that's one of the problems. The situations are much more commonplace, so the mistakes are more glaring. My favorite one comes near the end of the movie. You see, the roads are clogged with cars, just like in "Independence Day", but Téa Leoni needs to get to her father's house. Rather than just side-step the issue, like in ID4, and simply show her at the destination, the director chooses to show Téa Leoni speeding along the shoulder of a crowded street. Gee, I can just imagine all of the people trapped in their cars hitting themselves and saying "Why didn't I think of that?". This movie also had lots of Astronaut action, while not anywhere near as much as "Armageddon". It also has some really good special effects, but they are all contained in the final part of the movie. So, seeing as this is a movie that focuses on plot, how's the plot, you ask? |
| Well, they try. It's about a plucky young reporter played by Téa Leoni, who persistently pursues the story behind the resignation of a member of the presidential cabinet. An informant tells her that it's because of a scandalous affair with a woman named Ellie. Téa Leoni is able to bluff her way into a meeting with the President, ensuring that her career will go places. She learns that her informant was mistaken, and that "Ellie" is really E.L.E., which stands for "Extinction Level Event". Bummer. So, we have Téa Leoni running around, trying to advance her career and make peace with her father while waiting for the countdown to extinction. There's also a subplot involving Elijah Wood, who discovered the comet. Although the movie is mostly a drama, there are some exciting parts, mostly involving the Astronauts sent to blow up the comet, who are action heroes. It tries to be realistic, but I felt like there was just too much. I didn't find Elijah Wood that interesting, and some of the Téa Leoni scenes feel very unnecessary. |
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| The shining star of the movie is Morgan Freeman, as the President. It seems like that's what all of the critics say, but it's true! Whenever he's on-screen, you feel like you're really watching the president. He carries himself with a sort of dignity and respectability. He's like the president that we all wish we had, the kind of guy you can believe in. What's the final verdict? It's a drama, so anyone expecting slam-bang action and stunning special effects will leave the movie disappointed. I can remember hearing people complaining that most of the movie happened off-screen. My major complaint is the ending. In addition to the car thing, I didn't like that artificial, self-sacrificing, over-patriotic conclusion with the Astronaut, which also doesn't add up when you count the nukes. And what's up with that exploding car? |
| You see, at the beginning of the movie, some astronomer guy drives his SUV off a cliff, and it blows up like the seats are stuffed with C4. Oh yeah, and as long as I'm rambling, Téa Leoni reminds me of a girl I know. Must be the hair. In short, "Armageddon" deals with preventing the end of the world, and "Deep Impact" deals with preparing for the end of the world. Choose whichever you'd rather see. |
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