Magma: Volcanic Disaster (2006)

A volcano expert tries to warn others that a disaster is fast approaching only to be met with doubt and skepticism. System Requirements:Run Time: 87 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 043396172098 Manufacturer No: 17209 Product Description

Decent Acting, Terrible Writing

I can add little to what has been written about this movie, except that I can tolerate a bad movie; but not a stupid movie, and this is a stupid movie. The opening eruption that bathes a scientific survey team in lava is accompanied by violent tremors and aftershocks and a massive cloud of spewing ash, all witnessed by a rescue helicopter crew; yet five minutes later the protagonist/volcanologist declares the fate of the team "a mystery." And later, while his own team wander along a mine shaft, they all fail to notice glowing lava dripping from the ceiling. The "science" of the movie is equally ridiculous and the President of the U.S. is amazingly gullible about how to save the world--I would have required a lot more convincing before unleashing the Navy to fire nuclear missiles in the Marianas Trench. Finally, I never enjoy watching people falling into lava, but in this movie they are almost casual about it, which considerably lessens any feeling of dread.

Yet there are good points. The acting is above reproach and the interactions of several of the leads, while predictable, are actually interesting. The rest of the movie is TV-budget competent, and since one of the producers is the Sci-Fi Channel, it does no good to expect realistic special effects. The DVD is perfectly adequate, although for some reason the movie trailer is more letter-boxed than the movie itself. The credits at the end of the movie are too small to read on my TV screen, which implies theatrical release overseas. If so, no wonder they hate us.
February 21, 2008

Bad, bad, bad

I am horrified by the thought that somebody might take those "scientists" seriously and actually believe in what this movie tries to tell. Let me pick just two of the many utterly wrong things: 1. Yellowstone sitting on the continent's biggest fault zone? I don't think so. Yellowstone is a hot-spot, like Hawaii, thousands of miles away from fault zones and anybody who took geology 101 would know the difference. 2. Black smokers in the Mariana Trench? So far, black smokers have been found on the ocean plateau, at about 6,000 ft depth but nowhere near the trenches. Oh, one more thing: the Virginia Class submarines shown in the movie have a maximum diving depth of 800 feet, nowhere near the depth of oceanic trenches. Enough.
I understand that a B-Movie's budget doesn't allow for a high-class scientific advisor, but any college student could have done a better job than whoever authorized this piece.
One scene I really liked: "There was a time when the scientific community unanimously agreed with the flat earth theory." Apparently, we didn't go very far ever since. If this movie had claimed our earth is a cube, it wouldn't be much further from the truth than the story of this sad piece of entertainment.
June 30, 2007

Very Disappointing

I am notorious for liking bad natural disaster movies... but this is awful, even for me. The effects were awful (the opening sequence is just ridiculous), the acting very poor, the overall effect is not very interesting. The best acting was done by Xander, but this performance was mediocre for him. I just wasn't impressed at all. I'd rent this before thinking of buying it. I'm sure glad I did. January 21, 2007

MUSHY MAGMA

Originally airing on the Sci-Fi channel, this is another one of those disaster movies with a wholly illogical scientific basis and mediocre special effects. As a disaster movie, it also fails to deliver any real scenes of personal crisis or danger, leaving us with a talky treatise on governmental incompetence.
Xander Berkeley is quite good as the heroic scientist whose theory of cataclysmic disaster is rejected by other scientists; Reyko Aylesworth is very good as his estranged wife whose own life may be in peril; and Amy Jo Johnson is the oh so bright graduate student.
While certainly not a classic disaster flick, it's an okay timepasser. December 31, 2006

Typical Made for TV Disaster Movie

I won't spoil this movie for anyone who hasn't seen it so this review will be short. Having seen this movie on the Sci Fi Channel, I can say it is about average for a made for TV disaster movie. It starts off good with an interesting premise and quickly goes downhill as the plot become cheesier and cheesier.

The only bright spots in the entire movie are the characters played by Xander Berkeley and Reiko Aylesworth who most people probably know from the Fox show "24." Despite the mediocre script and ridiculous plotline, both manage to shine in their roles. If you're a fan of either Xander or Reiko, the movie is worth purchasing. December 14, 2006

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