Plot: What’s it about?
When James Bond met Sarah Connor
I’ve said in other reviews how odd it seems to be when similarly-themed films seem to come out near the same time. The few examples I can think of are Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line and Wyatt Earp and Tombstone. In early 1997 we were treated to Dante’s Peak, only to be presented with Volcano just a few short months later. As I said, it was odd, but life goes on. Movies about natural disasters are often hit and miss, so for every Twister we’ve got Geostorm and so on. But there’s always been something about this one that I liked. It didn’t seem to take itslef too seriously and I’m always a fan of that. Nevertheless we’ve got a newly-minted James Bond with Pierce Brosnan and the Terminator killer herself – Linda Hamilton trying to save a small town from an erupting volcano. If they can’t do it, who can?
Harr Dalton (Pierce Brosnan) is volcanologist – an expert in volcanoes. However, Harry’s reasons are a bit more personal as he lost the woman he loves in a volcanic emergency. When he and his team are sent to investigate some unusual seismic activity of Dante’s Peak, he has some odd findings: people boiled to death, animals dying and so on. The town’s supposedly dormant volcano seems to be on the verge of awakening and Harry’s convinced that there’s something very bad happening very soon. Enter Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton), the town’s mayor/single mother who also happens to run the local cafe. Her interest is such that the town’s been named “one of the most desirable small towns in America” and is dealing with the influx of tourists. She’s hesitant to listen to Harry or his advice, despite the facts. Is the town of Dante’s Peak doomed or will they listen to reason?
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, or in this case – a volcanologist, to figure out the plot of the film. Audiences wanted to see nature at its worst and the film delivered. You don’t go into a Scream or Halloween movie rooting for the good guys. Looking back at the film which, as of this writing, is nearly three decades old, it was fun. It was entertaining. I enjoyed it. And it was a modest success, raking in nearly $200 million dollars worldwide (and that’s 1997 dollars). By comparison, Volcano only managed to rake in $120. Evidently audiences had enough of mother nature by the Summer of 1997 or they were waiting for Godzilla (and later that year, Titanic). At any rate, this is one of those rare instances in which you don’t need to peel the layers back too much – this one is out there for the taking and it’s a fun ride if only for some choice moments of dialogue “…it must be some kind of squirrel epidemic.” I rest my case.
Video: How’s it look?
It’s been a long time since I sat down and watched this on a disc format. I think I totally missed the Blu-ray, but that’s now a moot point as we’ve got a new 4K offering from Kino. The 2.35:1 HEVC 4K image is about as pristine as it gets as we see some of the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest (I’m calling Idaho the PNW, though I’m not sure if it really qualifies) and much younger versions of Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton. Granted, the practical and digital effects are what’s on display here and they both rock (pardon the pun). Detail has been improved dramatically, colors have a bit more pop and flesh tones are warm and natural. This is a top notch effort.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Not to be outdone, the included Dolby Atmos soundtrack pulls no punches. I don’t know (and I don’t think I’ll ever want to) how an active volcano sounds when it’s about to blow, but I have to imagine that this is about as close it gets to the real thing. For obvious reasons, the LFE are highly involved in the film’s third act. Vocals are pure and crisp and surrounds are used often to great effect. In short, it’s everything you could want in an action/disaster film from the comfort of your sofa. Or chair.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – Kino is a studio that has produced some new audio commentary tracks for some older films, but this isn’t one of them. That’s fine, though, as this “archival” commentary track features director Roger Donaldson and production designer Dennis Washington. The duo offer up a more fact-filled track with some logistics about the special effects (practical ones at that) as well as shooting in Idaho and so forth. It’s a good track and one that any fan of the film will find enjoyable.
- Isolated Score – I’ve never been much on this type of feature, but if you want it the film’s isolated score by composer John Frizzell is there in all its DTS HD Master Audio glory.
- Getting Close to the Show: The Making of Dante’s Peak – This is more than the standard EPK as it runs an hour and has a little more substance than most other “Making of…” segments. We get somewhat of a visual representation of what Donaldson and Washington talked about on the commentary, shooting the climactic scene (and in Idaho) as well as some of the digital and practical effects used in the film. It’s about as encompassing as any one of these can get and worth a look.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
Dante’s Peak wasn’t engineered to win awards, though oddly it did win one. I’ve never heard of the ASCAP Film and Television Awards before, but…there ya go. Nevertheless, in a year when it had direct competition with another volcano movie, I’ve always found this one preferable. Kino’s new 4K image doesn’t pull any punches with its A/V presentation and for those who have been waiting, it’s been worth it.
