DEEP IMPACT (1998, USA, 120m, 12) ***
Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
dist. Paramount Pictures (USA), United International Pictures (UIP) (UK); pr co. Paramount Pictures / DreamWorks SKG / Zanuck-Brown Productions / Manhattan Project; d. Mimi Leder; w. Bruce Joel Rubin, Michael Tolkin; pr. David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck; ph. Dietrich Lohmann (Technicolor | 2.39:1); m. James Horner; ed. Paul Cichocki, David Rosenbloom; pd. Leslie Dilley; ad. Dennis Bradford, Gary Kosko, Andrew Neskoromny, Thomas Valentine.
cast: Robert Duvall (Spurgeon Tanner), Téa Leoni (Jenny Lerner), Elijah Wood (Leo Biederman), Vanessa Redgrave (Robin Lerner), Morgan Freeman (President Beck), Maximilian Schell (Jason Lerner), James Cromwell (Alan Rittenhouse), Ron Eldard (Oren Monash), Jon Favreau (Gus Partenza), Laura Innes (Beth Stanley), Mary McCormack (Andrea Baker), Richard Schiff (Don Biederman), Leelee Sobieski (Sarah Hotchner), Blair Underwood (Mark Simon), Dougray Scott (Eric Vennekor), Gary Werntz (Chuck Hotchner), Bruce Weitz (Stuart Caley), Betsy Brantley (Ellen Biederman), O’Neal Compton (Morten Entrekin), Rya Kihlstedt (Chloe).
Enjoyable popcorn entertainment in which a comet is hurtling toward Earth and could mean the end of all human life. The U.S. government keeps the crisis under wraps, but crack reporter Jenny Lerner (Leoni) uncovers the truth — forcing U.S. President Beck (Freeman) to announce his plan. Grizzled astronaut Spurgeon “Fish” Tanner (Duvall) and his team will land on the comet and lay explosives, hopefully deterring the object from its doomsday course. If not, humanity will have to prepare for the worst. Whilst after a promising opening the script is full of disaster movie cliches, Leder directs with a sense of energy and the strong cast, notably Freeman and Duvall, almost make us believe the often-corny dialogue they have to deliver. The lack of wit is perhaps understandable given the doom-laden subject matter. Instead, the movie pushes at the heartstrings and keeps the technical hardware back for the impressively realised showcase finale.
