Deep Impact Review
by "Nathaniel R. Atcheson" (nate AT pyramid DOT net)May 9th, 1998
Deep Impact (1998)
Director: Mimi Leder
Cast: Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, Morgan Freeman, Leelee Sobieski, James Cromwell Screenplay: Michael Tolkin, Bruce Joel Rubin
Producers: David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck
Runtime: 115 min.
US Distribution: Paramount/DreamWorks
Rated PG-13: brief language, disaster violence
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson ([email protected])
Deep Impact is a disaster film that tries to do too much in the two hours it has. I noted about thirty minutes into it that the film would have to clear three hours in order to develop all the subplots into meaningful stories. And, as I expected, the film instead relies on numerous manipulative "heartfelt" scenes in which characters hug each other, say goodbye, and cry profusely. I'm not above all that -- some of the character-driven moments in this film actually work.
But I want a disaster film! Deep Impact is, as you all should know, about a big comet careening towards Earth, and what we do to try and stop it. The film builds up steadily to its climax, parts of which you can catch on the trailers and TV spots (you get to see giant tidal waves destroy buildings and offshore oil rigs, among other interesting sights). But, that's two or three minutes of payoff for a long film about people who cry more than anything else. Most upsetting is that the disaster doesn't look nearly as convincing or incredible as I was hoping. In trying to do everything (characters and disasters), Deep Impact somehow misses on both counts, thus proving that you do need three hours (Titanic) to develop characters and throw them in a disaster like this.
I really don't want to synopsize the plot. I don't feel like it right now, and it probably doesn't matter too much because all that you need to know is that there's a comet, and that it could wipe out all life on earth. I will brief you on the characters, though. First, there's Jenny Lerner (Tea Leoni), a reporter who is essentially the first to hear of the "biggest story in history." Her subplot includes her mother (Vanessa Redgrave) and her father (Maximilian Schell) who are divorced; she's angry with her father because he's married a younger woman and is ignoring his ex-wife. All three actors are very good in their roles, although Leoni seems unable to smile and Schell seems unable to do anything but smile.
Then there's young Leo Biederman (Elijah Wood) who, one year prior to most of the events in the film, discovers the comet in his astronomy class. He's in love with Sarah Hotchner (Leelee Sobieski, who is a Helen Hunt lookalike in every possible way). Both kids have entire families, the members of which are all given considerable screen time in this film. Wood is a strong actor, and he pulls off all of his scenes with ease; newcomer Sobieski is also good.
There are many veterans in smaller roles. Morgan Freeman plays the president in that solid Morgan Freeman way. James Cromwell has one (yes, one) scene as the Secretary of State. Robert Duvall plays astronaut Spurgeon Tanner, the leader of the mission to destroy the comet. The mission utilizes the largest spaceship ever created, the Messiah. The plan is to fly up to the comet and plan nuclear devices in it, hopefully diverting its path. This is the first measure they take, and happens about an hour into the film. I hope you don't expect it to succeed. If it did, then we wouldn't get to see the comet flying through the atmosphere and crashing into the Atlantic Ocean.
The film isn't what I'd call realistic. The astronauts pilot the Messiah right into the tail of the comet and try really hard to avoid the house-sized chunks of ice breaking flying towards them at thousands of miles per hour. How the Messiah gets going that fast, or how it catches up to the comet in a few seconds, are details that we never learn, and, because of this, the pacing feels strange and rushed through this section. The subplot does provide for a well-made scene during which the astronauts walk around on the icy surface of the comet.
I've heard that Spielberg hand-picked director Mimi Leder for this project (her debut film was last year's The Peacemaker, which, in my humble opinion, is not a quality action film, but not really because of her). I think she's a pretty good director, and a lot of the scenes here are handled well (my favorite scene has Leoni and Schell standing on a beach, awaiting impact). Often, though, she's countered by the script, which just isn't all that sharp. Most of the subplots are so gooey they ooze from one to the next, and they just keep coming . . . even when you expect the disaster to finally arrive, you get more and more "touching" scenes featuring teary-eyed people.
And I wouldn't mind, because, as I said, a lot of these scenes work (try something a thousand times it's bound to come out right once or twice). But when the comet finally does hit, it just didn't grab me the way I wanted to be grabbed. It's nice-looking, true, and some of the images are striking. But many of the special effects look fuzzy (like the water rushing over mountain tops), and the disaster overall isn't gripping enough to warrant this much buildup.
Deep Impact is an event movie, but it doesn't seem like it wants to be. It wants to be a self-conscious event movie with real characters and situations to care about. But there isn't enough real development of the characters or enough horrific disaster footage to make the entire package altogether smooth. It's a moderately fun film as summer flicks go, but it had potential to be a truly moving and frightening film. It's a little of both, but not quite enough of either.
**1/2 out of ****
(6/10, C+)
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