Deep Impact (1998)

Starring: Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, Morgan Freeman

Director: Mimi Leder

Genre: Action, Drama, Romance

Rating: C+

Another disaster movie about a comet coming to destroy the planet. Given just how frequently this one comes up, it's almost as though the idea is ingrained within our human DNA - although if that's true, then one might have to question the origins of many horror movies.

May, 1998 a high school astronomy club discovers a comet that is eventually revealed to be heading towards the planet, set on destroying life as we know it.  Astronauts are sent up to the comet to destroy it, while people on Earth are left trying to deal with their impending doom.  The film alternates between telling the story of these "heroes" and the people who are left behind.

I think my favourite part about this movie is the many shots of the comet in space.  While I have no clue just how scientific Deep Impact is, the feel that it has to it is a lot more realistic than that in its compatriot, Armageddon.  This isn't about the great individuals saving the world, this is about the world facing the end of humanity and dealing with it.  One of the criticism of the film is that it's not a particularly emotional one, but in fact I found it to be more emotional than Armageddon - but I can be a bit of a sap.  The start of the film isn't emotional, it's bleak but not heart moving, but as Deep Impact begins to reach its climax it starts to pull the heartstrings.  It's hard to not feel emotion as everyone begins to really face the demise of the planet.

Deep Impact juggles three storylines - following the astronauts, lead by Captain  sent to destroy the comet, named Wolf-Biederman; reporter Jenny Lerner (Leoni) as she breaks the story and deals with the plethora of problems resulting from her divorced parents, Robin (Redgrave) and Jason (Schell); and Leo Biederman (Wood), the boy who discovered the comet.  These were each handled really well, although I think I would have liked less of Leoni's storyline and more of the Wood and astronaut lines.  I also would have liked to have seen more of Morgan Freeman, who plays President Tom Beck.  You can never go wrong with more Morgan Freeman.