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4

Grandma Ruth would definitely refuse to wear a mask in 2020.

12

63

Disaster movies with a relative lack of CGI are the best. When the volcano goes boom boom in Dante's Peak, it's a feast of miniatures and other analog trickery. It's quite a spectacle. The bellowing clouds of ash in particular. It takes a decent length of time to get there, but the characters are serviceable in the meantime, and the tone is relatively serious, which is a plus. Basically Jaws but with a volcano. Good stuff.

Review by matt lynch ★★★½ Liked

This might be the relative best of the late 90's disaster wave (pun intended). Brosnan and Hamilton have enough genuine chemistry, and the ing cast is unassuming enough to keep all the buildup to the big finale from getting too dull. Once this thing does finally kick over, though, you're treated to some of the finest late-analog tentpole VFX the genre had to offer. Some of these miniatures are pretty seamless (especially if you, like me, prefer a few seams). Also, this absolutely has the period's best lucky dog scene.

10

This film got two stars, one for each of the stupid grandmas burned legs. I ed the acid lake scene being awesome, but it definitely is not.

I took away half a star because this film uses the Wilhelm scream in one of the worst possible ways. One of the main characters gets trapped on a bridge, and as he is being flung to his death, he lets out the famous scream. The Wilhelm scream should be reserved for background characters, and should never be used for a main characters death scene.

5

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

4

my only concern was if the dog would make it though the eruption alive or not

2

Those were the best tires ever made. 🌋

17

If you know anything about crazy behind the scenes stories on Hollywood, there’s a big chance this movie has been in your radar. If you don't know, this was one of those films that fought and won at the box office against a film that shared much of the same premise, in this case, Tommy Lee Jones' "Volcano," which, no, I haven't seen.

A very low rating and snarky little daughter told me I was in for not the best of movies and something from the late 90s. As it tends to happen with every disaster film (“Independence Day” notwithstanding), they are only made with the intention of seeing things go kaboom and plenty of lives being lost. The "End…

4

The scenes of the pyroclastic cloud destroying the miniature town is pure 90’s nightmare fuel.

1

I love a good disaster movie and this is one I go back to often. It’s a good story with characters you care about and plenty of action. Linda Hamilton and Pierce Brosnan do a fantastic job as the film’s leads. I love everything about it except the Grandma. She pisses me off every time. I would have left her on that mountain.

2

Just the right blend of chaos and wild dumb moments, to help make this overly ambitious disaster movie erupt!

"Isn't this beautiful, nestled all nice and cozy right up against the mountain? ... Yeah, just like Pompeii."

I guess it is fair to say this is our fictionalized version of a Mount Saint Helens movie. Needless to say, seeing a town full of people having to frantically scramble to get away from a volcano should have its serious moments. But it was nice to see Dante’s Peak also embrace its hilarious parts as well.

"I've always been better at feeling out volcanoes than people and politics."

(Quick Hits) ... Spoilers:

- Unfortunately the mountain views are a mixed bag, with…

7

"Lauren! The mountains blowing up!"

Some remarkable miniature work for this silly '90s disaster movie. I love that the small town is set in Washington and the vibes are quite immaculate, this movie is going to do numbers when Mount Rainier blows, hopefully that is not for a very, very long time. Oh, and Grandma Ruth absolutely sucks, I was praying for her dumbass to get cooked.