DEEP IMPACT

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS / SDDS

Mankind is threatened by a huge asteroid on a collision course with Earth.

Mimi Leder's thoughtful drama arrived in theaters shortly before the release of Michael Bay's "Armageddon" (1998) - a flashier, trashier riff on the same subject - and appeared to suffer in comparison with its outrageous counterpart, due to a script (by Bruce Joel Rubin and Michael Tolkin) which emphasized human drama over extravagant pyrotechnics. But DEEP IMPACT is enriched tenfold by this deliberate shift of emphasis, even though the film adheres to a routine formula established years earlier in such disaster pics as EARTHQUAKE and THE TOWERING INFERNO (both 1974). Here, the contrived melodrama of those older movies is replaced by a sincere contemplation of unimaginable catastrophe and the subsequent effect on mankind, highlighted by Morgan Freeman's authoritative presence as the beleaguered US president, who commissions a group of astronauts (led by Robert Duvall) to land a spacecraft on the comet and attach a series of nuclear devices to the surface.

Proceedings are hindered slightly by Téa Leoni's blank-faced performance as the TV journalist who stumbles onto the impending cataclysm whilst researching an apparently unrelated story about a 'philandering' senator (James Cromwell). Thankfully, the film is redeemed by its tremendous supporting cast, including Vanessa Redgrave as Leoni's proud mother, struggling to cope following her divorce from estranged husband Maximilian Schell, and a pre-hobbit Elijah Wood, playing the juvenile lead. It's to the filmmakers' credit that all these characters (and more besides) play vital roles within the overall structure, adding depth and resonance to an otherwise crowd-pleasing commercial enterprise.

The climactic scenes of destruction - involving a huge tidal wave striking New York - are brief but potent, precisely because of the human dimension stressed by Leder's intuitive direction. True, the outcome is fairly predictable, and there's a slight lurch into artificial sentimentality towards the end of the movie, but these are minor drawbacks in an otherwise worthy production. Fine music score by James Horner.

I think a lot of viewers wanted to compare this movie to Armageddon, especially since they were released so closely together. However, while the main storyline is similar, that's were the similarities end. Just because Deep Impact didn't have everything going "BOOM" like Armageddon did, doesn't make it a boring movie. I was caught up in the narrative, the characters and the "heart" in this movie. There was substance in the storytelling. Duvall excels in leading a group of young, hotshot astronauts into space.

Both Deep Impact and Armageddon were released in the same year 1998 and both had almost same story but I enjoyed Deep Impact more.

The cast played their characters nicely. The direction was good. The running time was proper 2 hour and not like Armageddon which sas unnecessarily stretched to 2hr 30min. The pacing was also proper, you will not get bored. The logic in the story was far better than Armageddon.

It's hard to believe how did this movie grossed less than Armageddon. It's box-office collection is proof that movie is underrated. Overall, give it a try. You eill enjoy it.