Volcano - Hölle auf Erden

With a title like Nature Unleashed Volcano and watching the first few minutes of the movie, you'd think you're in store for a volcano-chasing action movie as in Twisters with a chatty flirty perilous couple getting themselves into trouble all over the place.

But things take a sharp turn quite quickly, and volcano photographer Russell returns to his deceased wife's Italy hometown to research her childhood.

Eerily enchanted by a mysterious mute girl vaguely similar in appearance with his deceased wife, Russell makes inquiries with the locals. The head of monastery tells Russell in no uncertain terms to stay clear of devilish girl Angela.

So what does Russell do? THE EXACT OPPOSITE. He becomes literally obsessed with the girl, chasing her all over town, following her into the most potentially comprising quarters - mind you, she's a minor or not much older than a minor - and there he is grabbing her by the shoulders in the depth of a cave.

Of course, Russell continues to ignore everyone's warnings, and the more bizarre Angela acts, oddly, the more Russell is drawn toward her and her cryptic drawings.

For a stretch of the movie, the movie goes full-on The Exorcist. The title frankly does the movie little justice. The movie would have more aptly been titled "The Devil's Prophet" or "The Devil's Volcano."

To the movie's credit, there is a substantial amount of credible action and effects, as well as a large cast of extras, many of whom were falling to the ground on fire - all surprisingly engaging for a movie seemingly of such low budget.

Evocative of Obsession (1976) in many respects, you do wonder if there's a huge twist to be had, or whether Angela and her mom actually were struck by lightning or perhaps there was some foul play from the monastery. But no. Perhaps that would have been too clever.

In the end, frankly, it's a little hard to believe Russell didn't scoop adorable misunderstood Angela up and "take her back to the States" where he could "give her the beautiful life she deserves"...considering how he literally risked his life multiple times to keep her out of harm's way.

That aftermath would have made for an interesting movie.

Well... uh... oh. The first half is very boring, the second half is... just absurd. It looks like "The Exorcist vs. Eruption of St Helens". Or something like action version of German love movies. Or something like that. Unbelievable characters, poor effects... I have been especially shocked by something that looked like very bad science mixed with mysticism or devil possession or whatever it has been. I just don't get this, I think you shall not mix something real (like volcano) with something like possession. Well, there may be some warnings, but this... this has been just pathetic. What a waste of time, what a waste of my recorder's HDD space (just joking, I have erased this mess already).

The idea isn't bad and it could have been a better movie had they picked some Italian actors to play the Italian people. Most of the actors use a very bad Italian accent and their Italian is awful and not authentic. Also the concept is good but it took it too far once the priests started trying to exorcize Angela.. then it got crazy weird to the point that i felt like I was watching 2 different movies.. the doctor pronouncing Angela dead when her chest is clearly moving up and down .. ugh.. it jumped the shark once that happened!

This is a great movie Despite the bad comments from some reviewers It's a smart movie It's a well put together movie It's a movie that will appeal to the smart moviegoer Not the meat head moviegoer who justs want gun fights car chasers bombs going off and half naked chicks If you read the reviews on here you will see it is indeed mixed Their are people who are saying this movie is dull boring stupid And their are people saying it is great terrific outstanding Well it is easy to see which are the smart moviegoers And which are the meat heads I for one liked this movie but i'm a smart moviegoer I like a great story that makes you think Is it the greatest movie ever made no But it's not the worst i liked this movie And i liked it that much i went out and grabbed it form JB HiFI So it in my opinion is a great movie

Now onto the movie what is it about

A journalist Russell Woods life is destroyed When his wife is killed while they are reporting on a Volcano eruption After the tragic loss of his wife Russell decides to try to movie on He goes to his wife's place of birth In order to close that chapter of his life But once there Russell soon realizes he is being followed Followed by a strange girl named Angela A girl who has not spoken since an accident yrs ago Russell believes that this girl is connected to him In what way he does not know The religious towns people believe that Angela is evil Russell on the other soon starts to believe Angela Is in some way connected to his wife's tragic Death But Russell soon finds out that bigger events are unfolding And something supernatural has come to this religious town And Angela is the Key to it All

In my opinion This is a movie that Women would like more then most Men You see sadly most men fall into the meat head moviegoer space Not all men there are some like me that like a non meat head movie But most men fall into the meat head space But 90% of women like a good thinking movie with a touching story This is that kind of movie and for that I think women will like this movie more

But non MeatHead moviegoers give it a try

To Hell with seismological studies, & geothermal surveys. If you're looking for a way to find out about an impending volcanic disaster, then what you need to do is get your recently deceased wife to commune with a supernaturally possessed, mute, Italian teenage girl. That's what our hero, Russell Woods was smart enough to do, & not a minute too soon, as the town's clerics were likely going to burn her at the stake, as a demon infested witch.

Luckily, she paints fairly surrealistic depictions of lunar cycles or some such hogwash, & sets volcano photographer Russell, the sole voice of reason, on the path to saving the entire population of the small Italian village where his late wife was raised.

Soooo... as of late, I've become a veritable connoisseur of crappy "Straight to video" disaster flicks, as I have a friend who works for Blockbuster, & he often gives me stacks of dvds that would otherwise have been destroyed, & turned into packaging materials, or shipped straight to a landfill.

Sadly, I now fear that I was too haste in interfering with this movie's final destiny, of rotting in a vast heap of trash. Now, far be it for me to be completely negative, so I'll offer something on a positive note. It is a small victory that I, a man of much patience, was able to sit through the entire 90 minutes of this film, which is more than I can say for the aforementioned Xander Berkley vehicle "Magma: Volcanic Disaster", which was so bloody dull & awful, I had to shut if off after an hour.

As for this slightly better volcano disaster flick, I'd recommend only watching it, if someone gives you a free copy, & you have 90 minutes to flush down the crapper. The up side is you'll have much more respect for Pierce Brosnan's "Dante's Peak", & Tommy Lee Jones' "Volcano" It'll make you laugh, & try, unsuccessfully, to make you cry, & you'll likely pause it, at least once, & forget you were watching it, & then go back & finish it, & then wonder why you just didn't forget it completely, in lieu of getting on with your life