Volcano - A Movie Review

We have to get everyone out of this city now before this volcano erupts!

Volcano Exploded into theaters in 1997. A volcano erupts in downtown Los Angeles. A city official, a seismologist, and the city of Los Angeles do anything necessary to stop the dangerous flow from destroying the town.

Disaster films have always appealed to my nature. Volcano has gone through a lot of talk since its release. The whole disaster aspect is hoaky, containing inaccurate information about volcanoes. However, in my most recent watch, Volcano is a study on characters and interactions.

Volcano has a huge cast of actors who play a diverse supply of characters. Some who were well-known at the time or others who have had small parts in other media. Tommy Lee Jones barks out constant orders. That’s mostly his character. That and looking out for everyone.

The film world has had mixed opinions about Anne Heche. I have given her flack but after hearing her story, I have a different opinion about her. Due to the world being skeptical about sexuality, Heche wasn’t given a chance to expand in roles.

Heche was noteworthy in her role as an intelligent seismologist. Jones and Heche worked well together, each realistically portraying the worlds of their occupations.

More could have been done with Kelly (Gaby Hoffman) instead of making her helpless. Volcano harbors the usual family cliches. Kelly is always annoyed that she is treated like a child when her character switches from being a moody teen to acting like a small child.

Other credits include Don Cheadle, Jacqueline Kim, Keith David, John Carrol Lynch, Laurie Lathem, and a number of ensemble characters. I liked spotting actors who I did not recognize from the first time I watched this film. For example, if you have seen the TV show George Lopez, you will recognize Valente Rodriguez as the train conductor.

Given the usual direction to run screaming from the danger, there’s more to the ensemble than one thinks. All the characters feel real. The dialogue is weirdly written, but these are people who we can relate to.

Occupations like the police force, firefighters, and doctors are given respectful representations. My favorite supporting character is Dr. Jaye Calder (Kim). Doctors deserve recognition.

The subplot with the cop and Kevin (James MacDonald and Marcello Thedford) is very resonating. It still echoes with today’s world. We’re learning every day how to interact with society.

Onto the disaster portion. The film did not institute the best research. Volcano has a lot of factual errors. There’s no way that a person could stand a foot away from the lava. Not just people, but helicopters cannot fly over a river of lava without clogging the engines!

Despite the lack of research, In no way does that ruin Volcano. The special effects save the film from its lack of research. Special effects were realistic. All that ash flying in the air was made from newspapers. Want to know how filmmakers contrived the lava? It was made from the ingredient that’s used in milkshakes!

A miniature set of the town of L.A. was constructed to film scenes outside of the shooting location. I noticed that some shots were repeated, which was distracting.

Volcano is suspenseful. It never stops. Once the eruption happens, the story is stressful. Take caution because there are difficult images. Putting his lack of research aside, Mick Johnson created a character film that also expresses social issues.

Watch Volcano if you are looking for a new disaster film. It may not be serious but it’s a thrilling ride.