Deep Impact (Special Edition) (DVD)

...if a little silly Armageddon. Deep Impact, although a disaster movie, is different to these two films by concentrating more on the relationships between different characters then on the disaster itself. Directed by Mimi Leder, what I liked best about Deep Impact is the way it engages with its key characters so that we actually care about what happens to them, in comparison to something like The Day After Tomorrow where the characterisation is pretty ...
...disaster films such as Armageddon, Deep Impact is for me a better film because it takes a thoughtful look at the possibility of mass extinction rather then rushing straight in with special effects. Armageddon is an action film through and through, whereas Deep Impact is much deeper then that, looking at the human emotions and relationships which come together in the face of disaster. There are three main storylines which the film concerns itself ... more

FILM ONLY REVIEW

The 1990s saw a glut of disaster movies being released, from the action packed and rather egotistical Independence Day to the good if a little silly Armageddon. Deep Impact, although a disaster movie, is different to these two films by concentrating more on the relationships between different characters then on the disaster itself. Directed by Mimi Leder, what I liked best about Deep Impact is the way it engages with its key characters so that we actually care about what happens to them, in comparison to something like The Day After Tomorrow where the characterisation is pretty poor. The stand out performance for me is Tea Leoni as reporter Jenny Lerner.

The drama unfolds when a teenage astronomer and his teacher discover an object against the stars, which turns out to be a comet on a collision course with earth. After the President (Morgan Freeman) announces the comet's existence to his country a space mission is prepared to destroy the comet. When the space mission backfires, 800,000 people and 200,000 scientists are randomly selected to stay in caves which have been specially built in order to survive the 'Deep Impact'. Everyone else not selected to go in caves must brace themselves for impact, among them reporter Jenny Lerner (Leoni) and youngster Leo Beirderman (Elijah Wood).

Although not as successful as other disaster films such as Armageddon, Deep Impact is for me a better film because it takes a thoughtful look at the possibility of mass extinction rather then rushing straight in with special effects. Armageddon is an action film through and through, whereas Deep Impact is much deeper then that, looking at the human emotions and relationships which come together in the face of disaster. There are three main storylines which the film concerns itself with. The first (and for me the best) is the struggles reporter Jenny Lerner faces with her parents and her job, second is the relationship between young lovers Leo Biederman and Sarah Hotchner (Leelee Sobieski) and lastly is the problems the crew of the Messiah (the spacecraft sent to destoy the comet) face.

The majority of the film's time is spent looking at Jenny's relationship with her father and the horrible choice she has to make towards the end of the film. Jenny is an extremely intelligent and competent news reporter who has a strained relationship with her dad, who lands her biggest scoop by telling the nation about the comet approaching earth. This is the most moving and thought provoking part of the film, aided by Tea Leoni's performance and the great characterisation on Jenny. She's a person you really care about and feel for as the film goes on, with her performance very believable and convincing. The storyline concerning the Messiah crew is also very good and again heartbreaking, as another stark choice has to be made. I thought the storyline between Leo and Sarah wasn't as good and a little rushed, although Lord of the Rings star Eijah Wood gives a good performance as the teenage boy thrust into the limelight by his discovery of the comet.

The special effects are also of a very high standard, but are overshadowed by the human relationships, which for me is all the better. It's good to have a film which actually thinks about the unthinkable raher then rushing into things. Independence Day for example was a good solid action film but this is all it was, an action film, with little, if any, characterisation. By the end of Deep Impact you form a relationship to the different characters and their personal struggles, something unseen in many disaster films. The cast and acting in the film is also of a high standard, with Morgan Freeman shining as the President, and definately not as mawkish as you would think. Robert Duvall also puts in a touching performance as Captain Spurgeon Tanner of the Messiah crew.

Of course the film isn't perfect, there are a few holes in the plot. The main one for me is the idea that massive underground caves can be built in such a short space of time, unless they were already there, although this isn't really explained. The film is also a little slow at times, but not slow enough to be offputting. Many film critics have called the film 'boring' but this is definately not the case. For me this is much better then having crummy dialogue and poor characterisation in favour of big special effects. For a two hour film Deep Impact fills in enough human emotions and sensitivity to leave you truly moved, with the relationships between the lead characters overshadowing the main event. It will leave you with a lot to think about long after you've watched it, showing not only love and relationships between people but the love people share for their country.

A truly touching film.

Deep Impact (1998): Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Morgan Freeman, Maximilian Schell, Ron Eldard, Jon Faverau, James Cromwell, Mary McCormack, Richard Schiff, Leelee Sobieski, Blair Underwood, Dougray Scott, Kurtwood Smith.  

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