Airplane vs Volcano

USA 2014
produced by
David Michael Latt, David Rimawi (executive) for M.O.B. Movies/The Asylum
directed by James Kondelik, Jon Kondelik
starring Dean Cain, Robin Givens, Tamara Goodwin, Matt Mercer, Morgan West, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Graham Denham, Mike Jerome Putnam, Anthony Marks, David Vega, Ryan Budds, Jonathan Nation, Jeffrey Groff, Natalie Burtney, Zachary Haven, Jeremy Walker, Laura Alexandra Ramos, Patrick Lazzara, Jason Schaeffer, Joseph Price, Ralph William Tarr, Jon Kondelik, Michael Hampton, Alex Llera, Vonn Harris, Maximilian Elfeldt, Jose Prendes, Scarlett Redmond, Glenn R. Miller, Kris Heller, Harvey Q. Johnson, Pat Patterson, Glen Johnson, James Andrew Oster, David G. Stone, Tim McDaniel, Jerrel O'Neal, Doug Mattingly, John Morgan
written by James Kondelik, Jon Kondelik, music by Chris Ridenhour, Christopher Cano, Alexander Arntzen, Michael John Mollo, visual effects supervisor: Sasha Burrow

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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There has been freak volcanic build-up in the Pacific off Hawaii over the last few days, so unexpected and also in such an intensity, that measures have not been taken yet when an airliner flies right into the area where a super-volcano is gradually taking shape, building fire walls on its outer confines and spitting lava inside those. Both pilot and co-pilot are hit pretty soon, but the plane remains airborne on auto-pilot, and luckily one of the passengers, Rick (Dean Cain) knows how to fly an airplane - which is not too big a hope though, as he can't turn off the auto-pilot without the correct code, so all he can do is to try to keep the airplane to hit the firewalls or being hit by lava using pure muscle power to maneuvre her the little bit the auto-pilot allows.

Tensions mount in the airplane though, especially thanks to cynic Crieger (David Vega), who seems to thrive on creating rifts between people and who at one time even causes a few passengers to mutineer - but thanks to a sky marshall in presence (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) he's eventually cuffed to one of the toilets. Thank God there are a few other more heroic guys on board as well, as science genius Landon (Matt Mercer), who can build them a radio that directly links them to the local air force post, mechanic Frank (Anthony Marks), who at one point actually walks out on the wing to unclog one of the engines in mid-flight, and of course stewardess Rita (Tamara Goodwin), who most of the time at least manages in keeping the passengers calm and properly tends to all their injuries.

Down on the ground, at the military post, General Rhyker (Mike Jerome Putnam) is hit totally out of his league with the situation, to a point where he wants to abandon the airplane to concentrate on evacuations. But thanks to Specialist Tully (Morgan West), who dismisses several of Rhyker's direct orders, and geologist Lisa (Robyn Givens), the air force still sends a rescue vessel into the area - but will the rescue vessel even make it?

Now first and foremost, from a scientific point of view, Airplane vs Volcano is as big a nonsense as the title already suggests - but at the same time, seen as a somewhat mindless disaster movie, the film is loads of fun: Sure, like most disaster movies it's crowded by clichés rather than actual characters, but it spends enjoyable little time having the same characters go through the same motions in yet another film but puts its emphasis firmly on action - and when it comes to that, the film shows its strengths: The idea of an airplane caught above a super-volcano, as nonsensical as it may be, is also an original one, the visual effects might not be perfect but show great inventiveness, and the whole thing is very well paced.

In all, while certainly not the greatest of films (but you don't expect that from something called Airplane vs Volcano, do you?), the thing as a whole is still great fun!

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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