"...Second-Best Place To Live In America..." -
Dante's Peak on BLU RAY
Setting aside the ludicrous premise of a magmatic eruption
in rural USA - "Dante's Peak" (if you'll forgive the volcanic pun) -
is a real blast. And it's a looker on BLU RAY too.
Pierce Brosnan plays Harry Dalton of the United States
Geological Survey who is sent to the sleepy town of Dante's Peak - overlooked
by a dormant volcano. Four years earlier Harry lost his ladylove Mary Ann to a
blast he and his pick-up truck couldn't outrun - so his bosses think him good
at his job - but also over-zealous when it comes to predictions.
Harry meets the town Mayor Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton) and
her family of two kids (Jamie Renee Smith and Jeremy Foley as Lauren and
Graham) and soon forms a bond with them. But Harry also finds that the town has
recently been awarded the "...2nd Best Place To Live In The USA..." -
and the council is eager to keep the $18 million investment of an incoming
conglomerate called Blair Industries. Unfortunately they are also a little too
willing to overlook the Geologist's warnings that something is going on with
the wizened trees, dead wildlife and rising acidity levels in the lake beneath
the waking giant. And on it goes to a jug of water shaking on a table at a town
meeting and all Hell then breaking loose...
When the big bang/property destruction finally does arrive -
Dante's Peak disintegrates with real special effects style and believability -
Director Roger Donaldson delivering on set piece after set piece. Brosnan looks
fantastic - as does Hamilton - and there's convincing chemistry between them,
the kids and Nanny Ruth (Elizabeth Hoffman). Right up to the end - the tension
and drama is poured on - danger coming in lava flows through the kitchen, boat
trips across sulphuric acid lakes, clouds of molten ash in rotary blades and
finally to a crushed car in a disused mine.
Given a budget in excess of $100 million in 1997 - the BLU
RAY picture is excellent - especially when it goes to the picturesque town and
surrounding mountains (idyllic). The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 rattles
your speakers with explosions that will wake the neighbours. Other Audio
includes French, Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese DTS-Surround 5.1 - while
Subtitles include English SDH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese,
Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Korean, Latin American
Spanish, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, and Traditional
Mandarin.
"Dante's Peak" is a properly entertaining movie on
BLU RAY with a great cast and effects that impress to this day. Boil your
bottom on this little hottie...
