DEEP IMPACT 1998
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1998 Timothy Voon
2 :-) :-) for heartfelt impact
Cast: Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, Morgan Freeman, Leelee Sobieski, James Cromwell Director: Mimi Leder Producers: David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck Screenplay: Michael Tolkin, Bruce Joel Rubin
If ever there was ever a disaster movie that focussed more on the emotional issues of love and sacrifice, than the actual special effects of destroying earth, then it will probably be remembered as DEEP IMPACT. Man is on the verge of extinction as a comet plummets towards earth, and like the dinosaurs before us, the human race is about to become fossilised. But unlike the dinosaurs, mankind has a great ability to innovate. With the combined effort between ex-cold war enemies, the US and the USSR, a group of astronauts are assembled to blow up the big rock.
If you were expecting to see large tidal waves, rip-apart famous American cities, then your wait will be a long one. Much of the movie focuses on the loneliness of a wannabe famous reporter, with divorced parents. A great scene where a daughter says to her estranged father, ‘It was a perfect day', and moments later a large wave thumping them into oblivion. An emotionally charged scene, where a mother screams to her daughter escaping on a motorcycle, ‘Take my baby, take my baby!' This is soon followed by lovers holding each other peacefully, before being blasted into oblivion by the same large wave. Before finally, the first Black American President (Morgan Freeman), giving some tear jerking words post IMPACT, about big waves rolling, cities falling but mankind living on etc. etc. as if this movie was not emotionally packed enough already.
The virtually unknown cast, except for some golden oldies (Robert Duvall, Vanessa Redgrave, Maxcimilian Schell), who give this movie some credibility and is a great economical plan for the worth-waiting-for special effects heaped towards the end. Some people will dislike the attempts at mixing a bowl full of thoughtfulness in with a dish full of ‘special effects', but it really ain't half bad.
Timothy Voon
e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au
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