Deep Impact Review
by Edward Johnson-ott (PBBP24A AT prodigy DOT com)May 4th, 1998
Deep Impact (1998)
Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, Morgan Freeman, Leelee Sobieski, James Cromwell, Mark McCormack, Blair Underwood, Dougray Scott, Ron Eldard, Alexander Baluyer, Jon Favreau, Denise Crosby, Bruce Weitz. Directed by Mimi Leder. Rated PG-13, 1.5 stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly
www.nuvo-online.com/film/
Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Edward+Johnson-ott
Determined to separate their film from this season's other "Yikes! There's a giant rock headed straight for Earth!" movie, the "Deep Impact" producers emphasize that "Armageddon" (due July 1) is an action flick, while their story is an emotion-propelled, realistic drama. "It's about what you'd do if you were told you only had a year to live," said director Mimi Leder, "I want the audience to walk away from this thinking about their own lives."
Lofty sentiments aside, "Deep Impact" is just another disaster movie, and an exceptionally clumsy one at that. In fact, after two hours of enduring the film's poorly drawn characters, insipid dialogue, and clichéd storylines, it's difficult not to root for the comet instead of the people.
There's something inherently awkward about the very notion of a comet collision movie. Presumably, no one wants to see humanity wiped out, but the whole lure of this type of film is the promise of witnessing disaster on a mammoth scale. It's like watching an auto race; no one wishes death or injury on the drivers, yet most people love to see a splashy wreck. In 1951's "When Worlds Collide," the problem was solved by having two objects headed for Earth, one on a collision course and one that narrowly misses. An intrepid group of travelers takes off in a rocket. After Comet A destroys the Earth, they colonize Comet B, which just happens to have an oxygen atmosphere and beautiful green foliage.
"Deep Impact" isn't quite that ridiculous, but it comes close. Here, the president announces that Earth has a year before impact. In the interim, a group of astronauts will attempt to blow up the rogue rock. In case they fail, the government will house one million people in an underground shelter to begin life anew. A national lottery will be held. If your name is selected, you go into the shelter. If no...well, feel free to start smoking again.
Had the film seriously examined the societal consequences of a planet- wide death sentence, "Deep Impact" could have meant something. Instead, they follow the "Cheesy Disaster Movies 101" lesson plan to the letter. The production hops between three storylines, none particularly inspiring.
While investigating what she believes to be a Washington sex scandal, plucky reporter Téa Leoni uncovers the classified information about the comet. Like any reputable journalist, she uses the information to strong- arm the President and further her career. After marveling at her ease in cracking open the government secrets (she secures the information in about five minutes, using the search engine on her PC,) you can amuse yourself by counting the number of plugs given MSNBC, the fledgling cable news network. If the president was really concerned with national security, he should have told her to go ahead and broadcast the story on MSNBC, thus insuring that nobody would ever hear about it.
Storyline Two follows the astronauts as they attempt to destroy the comet. Robert Duvall heads up the team, which includes "Swinger's" Jon Favreau and TV mainstays Ron Eldard and Blair Underwood. Despite choppy editing in the action scenes and a contrived subplot involving the generation gap between Duvall and the younger astronauts, these segments carry the most emotional resonance, thanks to several poignant exchanges, plus solid acting from Duvall and company.
The third storyline is the most ludicrous, focusing on Elijah Wood, the kid who discovered the comet, and his girlfriend, Helen Hunt Jr. (her real name is Leelee Sobieski, but after one look at her, you'll understand.) Elijah snares a spot in the underground cavern, while Helen Jr. elects to stay with her parents. Will cruel fate keep the young lovers apart? Fat chance. Try to keep a straight face as Elijah tells his folks he's leaving the cavern for almost certain doom with his sweetie. Their response? "Well son, you take care now."
There isn't room to cover all the howlingly bad scenes in a film that seems brain-dead, even by disaster movie standards. Witness President Morgan Freeman solemnly tell the world about the comet, urging the populace to stay calm while describing the pending collision in terms alarming enough to send nuns screaming panic-stricken into the streets. Watch as people outrun a thousand foot high tidal wave moving at the speed of sound. Gaze in amazement as Elijah takes off on an highway clogged with thousands of cars, finds Helen Jr. in seconds, then easily navigates through the traffic jam that has everyone else trapped.
All this and more awaits you in "Deep Impact," the first major disappointment of the summer movie season. Incidentally, those whiz bang special effects you've seen in the film's trailers don't happen until the last twenty minutes of the movie. Unless you're a connoisseur of bad movies, wait until this dud collides with your TV and see them then.
© 1998, Ed Johnson-Ott
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
