DEEP IMPACT
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1998 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
Okay moviegoers, dust off your old balance scales as you try to
decide whether DEEP IMPACT is worth recommending. (DEEP IMPACT is the
first of this year's big-rock-hits-earth movies. The Bruce Willis one
doesn't hit until July.)
On the plus side of the scales you will probably want to include
the marvelous acting by such veterans as Morgan Freeman and Robert
Duvall as well as younger star Tea Leoni from FLIRTING WITH DISASTER.
Also on the plus side are some remarkable special effects in the third
act - the first has some cheap looking ones straight out of an old Buck
Rogers movie. Finally, the outline of the story, as opposed to the
details of the script, is fascinating, so you'll want to put it on the
positive side.
On the negative side, Mimi Leder's direction and Michael Tolkin and
Bruce Joel Rubin's script is so confusing and so riddled with holes
that you'll spend the hour after the movie discussing all of its
problems with your date and friends. The large array of needless
subplots and unnecessary characters goes on this side. The biggest
weight on the negative side of the scale is the long second act in
which the movie loses all momentum and tries to turn from a big budget
action adventure to a maudlin soap opera.
Of course, you may want to balance the scales differently.
The story has three distinct acts and a short prologue. The
prologue about a government cover-up of a comet on a collision course
with earth, which has great potential, is given needlessly short
shrift. The first act is a fascinating science fiction story with
astronaut Spurgeon Tanner (Duvall) and Co. attempting to nuke the comet
off course. The second act is an excruciatingly long and slow weeper
full of lugubrious mini-dramas about people lamenting the end of
civilization as we know it. The final act tries to pick the action
back up with the comet approaching and people heading for shelter.
So we have a sleep-inducing action picture - now there's an
oxymoron - that is bracketed with some great scenes. (When the tidal
wave washes over the top of the World Trade Center, for example, the
visuals are tremendous.)
Tea Leoni plays a young CNBC reporter named Jenny Lerner, who
breaks the biggest story in this millenium. "I know you're just a
reporter, but you used to be a person, right?" Secretary Alan
Rittenhouse (James Cromwell) complains when she first confronts him
about the cover-up. With some great scenes reminiscent of BROADCAST
NEWS we go into the inner workings of a television newsroom. Jenny has
a pair of divorced parents, played by Vanessa Redgrave and Maximilian
Schell, and every time they come on the scene the movie loses all
momentum. Elimination of both of their characters would be a huge
improvement. If their characters belong in a movie, it's not this one.
Morgan Freeman plays the wise President Beck. He's the sort of
president you can trust even if he did hide the comet's existence for a
year. And he's honest. Name any president that would have the guts to
go on national television and tell the nation that now is the time to
panic.
If you can only see one earth in peril movie this year, this is
not the one to choose. There's no guarantee that Bruce's will be any
better, but hope springs eternal in the land of popcorn and candy.
DEEP IMPACT runs 1:55. It is rated PG-13 for intense disaster-
related elements and a little profanity. The picture has the potential
for scaring the living daylights out of impressionable kids, but in
general it should be fine for kids around 10 and up.
Have I Seen This Movie: Yes
And What Did I Think?: Well 1997 was the summer of volcanos and
1998 was the summer of comets & asteroids. Along with Armageddon, there
were a few tv movies about the giant rocks from space too. A lot of the movie is actually preparing for the impact
and not that exciting. The real action happens at the end when
the smaller astroid hits and takes out NY City and other towns.
One of my complaints is how come with all the observatories and
huge telescopes we have, the comet is first sighted by a highschool
kid with a puny telescope? And it takes 2 years to hit? Don't you
think that other people would have noticed this besides the
government? Oh well.... The movie's plots are as follows: Reporter
tries to deal with her father marrying again. ho-hum... Well they
do have one final tender moment on the beach before they are
washed up by the huge title wave. The Messiah crew tries to destroy
the comet by drilling into it. Done much better in Armageddon.
Elijah Wood plays the highschool kid who discovered the comet
& wants to protect her, and Morgan Freeman gives a good performance
as the President of the USA trying to keep the country under control.
The effects were ok, but nothing special... a lot of them you could
easily tell it was models and poor blue screening. Deep Impact
is worthwhile to rent, but its not a story thats going to challenge
you for sure. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Review written June 7, 1999
