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Volcano

Volcano

Science Fiction · Action · Drama · 1997

An earthquake shatters a peaceful Los Angeles morning and opens a fissure deep into the earth, causing lava to start bubbling up. As a volcano begins forming in the La Brea Tar Pits, the director of the city's emergency management service, working with a geologist, must then use every resource in the city to try and stop the volcano from consuming LA.

Movie details

Volcano

“It's hotter than hell.”

1997 Science Fiction · Action · Drama 1h 44m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

An earthquake shatters a peaceful Los Angeles morning and opens a fissure deep into the earth, causing lava to start bubbling up. As a volcano begins forming in the La Brea Tar Pits, the director of the city's emergency management service, working with a geologist, must then use every resource in the city to try and stop the volcano from consuming LA.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Volcano?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mick Jackson

Written by

Jerome Armstrong · Billy Ray

Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones

Mike Roark

Anne Heche

Anne Heche

Dr. Amy Barnes

Gaby Hoffmann

Gaby Hoffmann

Kelly Roark

Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle

Emmit Reese

Jacqueline Kim

Jacqueline Kim

Dr. Jaye Calder

Keith David

Keith David

Lt. Ed Fox

John Corbett

John Corbett

Norman Calder

Court is in session

Put Volcano on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.