Volcano 1997 Movie Review: A 90s Disaster Classic!

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Today, we're digging deep into the archives, all the way back to the golden age of disaster movies: 1997. It was a time of cinematic duels—Armageddon vs. Deep Impact, Dante's Peak vs... this.

Get your popcorn ready. We're about to review the gloriously absurd classic, Volcano (1997).

Source : wikipedia Volcano (1997 film)

When L.A. Got Toasted: The 90s Disaster Boom

Let's set the scene. It's 1997, and audiences are obsessed with watching the world end. Dante's Peak hit theaters in February, offering a "serious" take on an erupting volcano. Just two months later, director Mick Jackson (The Bodyguard) gave us Volcano, a film that asked the simple question: "What if we did the same thing, but in the middle of downtown Los Angeles and made it 100 times more ridiculous?" The result is a film with a 5.5/10 rating on IMDb, and I'm here to tell you it is one of the most entertaining 5.5/10 films ever made.

The Plot: What's Shakin' in L.A.?

The Volcano 1997 movie plot centers on Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones), the head of the L.A. Office of Emergency Management (O.E.M.). He's a classic 90s movie dad—a workaholic trying (and failing) to connect with his teenage daughter, Kelly (Gaby Hoffmann), who is visiting for the week. Their dysfunctional vacation is interrupted by a strange earthquake that cooks a few city workers alive in a steam pipe.

Enter Dr. Amy Barnes (Anne Heche), a plucky geologist who immediately suspects something volcanic is happening under the city. Naturally, no one believes her until the La Brea Tar Pits literally explode, showering Wilshire Boulevard with lava bombs and unleashing a river of molten rock. It's up to Roark, Barnes, and O.E.M. second-in-command Emmit Reese (Don Cheadle) to stop the unstoppable lava before it melts the entire city.

Source : Vocal Media

The Review: A Cheesy, Illogical, & Awesome Ride

Let's get this out of the way: the science in Volcano is terrible. It's laughably, outrageously, and wonderfully absurd. Can you stop a lava flow by lining up city buses and concrete barriers? According to geologists, no. According to this movie, absolutely yes! The film, written by Jerome Armstrong and Billy Ray, throws basic physics out the window in favor of maximum spectacle.

But here's the thing... who cares? This movie is fun. It's a non-stop, high-adrenaline ride from the moment the first lava bomb hits. Tommy Lee Jones is perfect as the grumpy, no-nonsense hero who barks orders and runs towards danger. Anne Heche (RIP) is fantastic as the brilliant scientist who is somehow the only person who knows what a volcano is. The practical effects, especially the flowing "lava" (made of a food-thickening agent), still look incredibly cool.

It’s a perfect popcorn flick that knows exactly what it is. It's cheesy, it's loud, and it's a blast. As a blogger, I know it's crucial to give readers similar content to keep them on the site. So, if you love this brand of 90s chaos, you should read our review of Twister (1996).

The Stars Behind the Eruption

The film is anchored by a cast that commits 100% to the ridiculous premise, which is what makes it work.

• Director: Mick Jackson
• Writers: Jerome Armstrong, Billy Ray
• Stars: Tommy Lee Jones as Mike Roark, Anne Heche as Dr. Amy Barnes, Gaby Hoffmann as Kelly Roark, Don Cheadle as Emmit Reese

The Final Verdict: Is Volcano Still Hot?

Yes! But with one condition: you must turn off your brain. Do not watch Volcano (1997) for a geology lesson. Watch it to see Tommy Lee Jones out-stubborn molten rock. Watch it for the pure, unfiltered joy of 90s disaster-movie cheese.

This Volcano 1997 movie review verdict is: it's a perfect guilty pleasure and a fantastic nostalgia trip. Thanks for reading, Popcorners! Have a favorite cheesy line from this movie? Drop it in the comments! And for more deep dives into cinematic chaos, browse our entire Disaster Movies category!