release year: 1997
genre: drama
viewing setting: home VHS, 8/19/97
what I expected: a volcanic disaster movie
what I got: a hokey, if entertaining, volcanic disaster movie with a lot of implausibilities
synopsis: The little town of Dante's Peak, second most desirable place to live in the U.S., has a big problem: the long-dormant volcano overlooking the town is waking up. It's up to the USGS guy and the mayor to convince the herd of the danger, and then save them from it.
impressions: It kept moving, and had decent acting, but there were numerous silly things: a truck driving half-underwater thanks to a "snorkel" in its engine; lava exploding from the ground for no reason; a lake turning to acid; Grandma taking a dive into the acid and pulling the boat to shore. Ech. It actually got funny at these times. Another thing: there were a lot of stupid people in this movie. Especially Grandma. And they got what was coming to them. Just like Grandma.
acting: Pierce Brosnan was the USGS survey expert, and Linda Hamilton (showing her age) was the mayor. Good job by both. No one else really stood out.
final word: Not a waste of time, but no blockbuster either. Worth watching just for the scenes of mass destruction.
rating: D