Die Vulkan-Apokalypse

I was looking forward to watching a new and exciting disaster movie this evening. This movie was a total waste of my two hours. Although the basic story is good - Yellowstone erupting, which scientists say is inevitable, the storyline is totally ludicrous. The scenes where the main character sees and talks to herself through her computer, from apparently another dimension, makes no sense whatsoever and doesn't add a thing to the story. The special effects as well are just pitiful.

If there's nothing else to watch on TV and you don't care about wasting two hours, then go for it; otherwise, you'll be better off spending that time reading a good book. I wish that's what I had done! In my opinion, this is one of many badly scripted made-for-TV science fiction movies that has come out of Hollywood in the past two decades. Seems they don't know how to make them anymore!

Why, oh why, do I keep finding myself watching SyFy original movies. I guess it's for the same reason I keep eating Bicky Burgers. You know it's not good for you, that it'll give you zits and heartburn. But damn it, it's just easy too swallow. However after sitting through it, you do have watchers guilt. You could have spend the same amount of time to watch Sunset Blvd again. Or Rear Window. Or really anything else not made by the SyFy channel.

Super Eruption is the unholy child of Dante's Peak and Frequency. Two movies I like very much. It's a cross made without any talent for screenwriting (often it feels like whole chunks of the movie are missing- like how did they get from here to there... could be I fell asleep. Could be bad writing. ) The special effects are far from special. They look like they were made by my grandmother using the Paint program on her Windows 95 computer.

The actors are there, enjoying the Bulgarian sights, possibly evaluating their life's choices. Pretty much what I'm doing, every time I finish one of these things.

Yet another volcano disaster film and made by the Syfy channel?! Never really stood a chance did it?

Thing is this is slightly tweaked. What do you get when you cross a volcano movie with Frequency (2000)? You get Super Eruption which isn't as bad as you'd think.

It tells the story of an eruption occurring underneath Yellowstone park and the usual attempts at stopping it through pseudo science.

Super Eruption however has a scifi twist to it which both makes it more interesting and considerably less credible. The concept makes you think but it's 100% guaranteed to cause a migraine or two.

The decent cast keep the movie from falling into mediocrity, and though it is just another scyfy original it's certainly watchable.

The Good:

Cast do a good job

Some interesting ideas

The Bad:

Poor sfx

Usual levels of baffling stupidity

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Would Yellowstone erupting actual cause the end of the world? Let's not find out

i find all of the science fiction movies enjoyable because we get a break from the strain of real life. Don't knock what you don't know....Dec 21st 2012....122112....what will happen, maybe nothing but Yellowstone is the largest volcano on the planet and an eruption could almost wipe out our civilization. Were the Mayans right? wait till next year....i like these disaster movies, they are someone's visions of the future. If you don't like the science fiction channel then go watch Dr. Phil or better still talk to him. Since the warnings have started about 2012 being the end of the world, no one really knows what will happen, a catastrophe caused by other planets or the sun? plates shifting due to massive earthquakes and volcanoes? OR the collapse of the world monetary system, no more banks, no money, dog eat dog and we wipe out our civilization ourselves? But if things start happening like you have seen on these kind of movies you will be prepared.

This one's nearly as entertaining as AIRPLANE VS VOLCANO! SUPER ERUPTION is a good natured SyFy Channel-made disaster movie about a volcano erupting at Yellowstone National Park, although it was actually filmed in Bulgaria with a mainly British cast. Whichever way you look at it, it's a film with an involved storyline, lots of entertaining actors, and plenty of incident to propel the narrative along.

Lame CGI effects are the bane of this sub-genre but to be fair they're not too shabby here and could have been - and often are - a lot worse. The narrative is actually well written for the most part and I loved the extra sci-fi twist thrown in along the way. The last third is a little weak but the early scenes generated enough fun for me not to mind too much.

Actors involved in the shenanigans include likable ex-DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES star Richard Burgi, making a fine double act with British TV actress Juliet Aubrey. The ubiquitous MyAnna Buring (THE DESCENT) puts on a relatively convincing American accent throughout, while Alex Wyndham (ROME) bags the minor role of a park ranger. SUPER ERUPTION is no classic, that's for sure, but when you've seen enough of these low rent disaster flicks you'll learn to appreciate even a middling production like this one.