Deep Impact (1998)

Directed by Mimi Leder. Starring Téa Leoni, Robert Duvall, Morgan Freeman, Elijah Wood, Maximilian Schell, Laura Innes, Ron Eldard, Vanessa Redgrave, Jon Favreau, Leelee Sobieski, Mary McCormack, James Cromwell, Blair Underwood, Aleksandr Baluev, Dougray Scott, Richard Schiff, Kurtwood Smith. [PG-13]

Tepid global disaster pic hurls a comet the size of New York City at Earth, an impending extinction level event that should probably inspire more panic, chaos, and devastation from the human race than the movie cares to show. In fact, Bruce Joel Rubin and Michael Tolkin’s script is more concerned with dysfunctional family drama and angsty teen romance than the catastrophic big picture (or, heaven help us, actual science and strategy). Some credit is due the filmmakers for not allowing the world to be saved by some deus ex machina or far-fetched macho heroics—for all of its problems, it’s still a considerable step up from the similarly-themed movie released less than two months later, Armageddon—but why should such a “big” idea story be siphoned through the standard roster of disparate characters in crisis? Take your pick on stupid: the beginning, where a fiery crash—telegraphed well in advance—gunks up the works for no reason at all; or the end, where recovery efforts move with the expediency of the sort of fairy tale that sees the once-ruined land blossoming with greenery five minutes after the dark wizard is slain. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg.

38/100