Patrick Stoner welcomes your questions about movies and the people who make them. Send your questions to pstoner@whyy.org. Here's the current question and answer:
Q: How does VOLCANO compare to the other movie about the same disaster, DANTE'S PEAK?A: Favorably.
I'm not sure why DANTE'S PEAK was so tepid, but somehow I never got more mussed up by it than did Brosnan's hair. It wasn't that the special effects weren't good; they were, but they weren't very grabby either. There has to be a build-up of some kind, and the only tension in DANTE'S PEAK was in wondering when the whole mountain would blow and how impressive the hot gas and dust cloud would be. When it was over, and they all went off to Florida to fish (what was THAT all about?), there was a definite feeling of "Is that all there is to a volcano?"
VOLCANO has three major differences: Tommy Lee Jones is a much more believable take-charge guy (and he doesn't mind looking grimy). It's more fun watching the glamorous Miracle Mile in Los Angeles get destroyed than some sweet mountain town. And there is a growing appreciation for the power of the lava as it devours trees, buildings, buses and people (one poor guy from feet to head).
True, it has one of the dumbest sections of political correctness ever inserted in a movie: an African-American gets in the face of a tough white cop when his street is endangered, and they bond when the lava gets hot -- with swelling music and even a salute as the black guy rides off to save his neighborhood after helping the cop. Only strong stomachs will handle that.
Tommy Lee Jones proves again, as he did in THE FUGITIVE, that he is credible and charismatic. Anne Heche might finally get appreciated as that rare Hollywood leading lady -- sexy and smart, even without the Sharon Stone body. Having said that, VOLCANO is not an actors' film.
Still, the special effects are excellent -- especially the lava -- and there's a decent, if not gripping, build. Watching Wilshire Avenue get destroyed bit by bit is fun, and the pacing is about twice that of DANTE'S PEAK, which is necessary in a movie where thought is the enemy.
With that in mind, check out the production qualities yourself at the official web site: http://www.volcano.com
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