Magma Volcanic Disaster

Today I'll talk you about an other bad movie in the same humorous way than the other. 

It names is Magma Volcanic Disaster, it's a “catastrophic” movie made in 2006 and produced by Ian Gilmore for SyFy Universal.

Let's start with the synopsis : the scenario is a bit classic of apocalyptic movies with a global ecological threat against the humanity.

In this movie, it's personified by the sudden eruption of many volcanos all over the world. The principal character is an unknown scientist who will understand alone, the danger for the planet, that is all volcanos become alive at the same time. I have to say that this scenario doesn't please me, I've already watch better in term of catastrophic situation. But the true problem is that the movie will become worst, with improbable theories and wrong informations (for example, Iceland is not the most volcanic area and 30% of the lava on earth doesn't come from there).

The solution is a bit bold too, but I'll let you watch the movie to see it, or just ask me in corridors. And it finish of course with an ecological moral always seen in this kind of movies : if we don't respect Mother Earth, it will be for our face.

To talk about the production, here again it's a movie with a bad mounting, made with synthetic images proper to a bad video game (with lava which are more from a cartoon and eruptions without any realism, to be brief effects are in cardboards).

Moreover decors are not really diversified, we feel like the movie has been filmed in the same place (which is probably true).

I will follow with actor skills, and I could notice that all the movie long it's a bit light, with a principal character rather exasperated, who is surprising by nothing and who keep is calm despite the serious of the situation. By the way secondary actors seems not stressed too. I could report the presence of the old scientist stereotype who understood everything before anyone, and who own an answer to the question that everybody want to know.

Moreover, losses in this movie suggest more a horror movie ratio than a catastrophic one, as the most of persons killed are important and not only exterior civilians because there are not useful for the history. Finally, in the purpose to embellish the scenario too catastrophic, scenarists had the great idea to focus in the private life of some characters in order to add some breaks between all lamentable scenes. (For me it was not a big interest).

To conclude, a classical catastrophic movie in its synopsis but with a bad production, match with special effects proper of an online game and a deplorable performance of actors. Add to this a story who does not have any purposes with a stupid end and you get ... an other turkey. There it is why I will give a 2 out of 10 to this movie, but I give one more point because it was a small budget movie.

Valentin SUCHET