Dante's Peak (1997) Retrospective / Review 

I remember how every single thing in this film looked so real and awesome. much classier, better made movie than volcano

Dante's Peak is a great example of a good old fashion disaster film. Plausible script, good actors, likable characters, and amazing special effects. I enjoy Daylight, Twister, and Volcano as well but this is my favorite film from the mid 90s disaster craze.

That volcano deserved an Oscar for best supporting actor.

"Dante's Peak" (1997) is the best disaster film of the 1990s. Since it's primarily based upon scientific fact (excluding the driving over lava and outrunning a pyroclastic cloud), "Dante's Peak" really stands out as one of the most well-composited films of all time.

So pretty much James Bond is on a secret assignment and the volcano is Skynet. Got it!

I always confuse this movie with Volcano. But Hollywood always loves to stick two movies together for some reason, especially in the 90s.

Dante Peak certainly holds up with such an incredible mix of practical models, matte paintings and CGI. And i agree; I wish modern blockbusters used a smart balance of both types of effects rather than purely CGI. I can't imagine that any director working today wants to solely rely on CGI in their visual effects driven movies, especially with old films like these holding up magnificently! Fun fact: I think the main example of a dog not surviving in a 90s action or disaster movie is in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, when the T.rex eats the dog in San Diego.

Can anyone give a good reason why we fewer and fewer practical effects these days? I just rewatched Dante's Peak a few days ago, after Oliver put up the preview, and was blown away by the realism. It's not like CGI is cheap - far from it!

Dante's peak is definitely in my 1990s movie collection, along with titanic and Jurassic park. They all combine special effects and cgi and they don't overuse the cgi because it's used over what's already there.

I think this one was just a little darker then other movies in the genre for kids to enjoy, probably the reason it didn't do as well as they would have liked. I remember being pretty disturbed by the couple boiled alive in the hot spring and then seeing their bodies when I was younger. Still I appreciate the effort in trying to make this more for adults and portraying the events with such authenticity.

"It's coffee time! Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee! Cappuccino and Java!" I rented this one quite a bit when I was a child. Really enjoyed it. Keep up the fantastic work, Ollie!

Atta Boy! Can't go wrong with Sara Connor & Bond!

I've always liked this movie. I grew up with it...my dad was always a big movie person and when we didn't have any cable we'd just go to blockbuster and rent VHS or buy from Walmart. Among the movies we watched Dante's Peak was one of the staples my dad always enjoyed it too. I haven't seen it in years, time to revisit it again :)

Pierce Brosman playing a character named Dalton , now that's quite a coincidence.

A Bond actor playing a character named Dalton.

Are you going to do any of Pierce Brosnan's Bond films Oliver? Also the "Stubborn old bag" line killed me 😂

Underrated film, great review as always

"Dante's Peak" is to "Volcano" What "Deep Impact" is to "Armageddon" The former are far superior and more realistic than the latter.

THIS IS JUST LIKE GOLDENEYE but with no guns and volcanoes!

I had no idea the bridge over the lake was a miniature! Damn it looks so good.

It’s such a well polished disaster film. The visual effects are very impressive, and the characters are interesting

Great review as always Mr Harper. I'm happy you took the time to comment on the Volcano fiasco. I remember back in the day the promotionals for Volcano taking cheap shots at Dante's Peak.

Those practical effects look INSANE!

Always loved this movie. The most memorable part for me was when the boss got caught on the bridge and the moment he and the others watching realize he's not going to make it. His eyes meet theirs and then ZOOM the bridge gets swept away as the others just stare. I remember seeing that in theaters and was like "damn dude, that's messed up."

Twister and Dante's Peak my two fave disaster movies. Both of them got me interested in reading about tornados/Volcanos respectively

I recently rewatched this video, and just the way you say how Ruth is a "stubborn old bag", and how she "suffers the consequences of being a pain in the ass" so straight-faced (as far as I can tell, judging by the sound in your voice), and with that wonderful English articulation continues to just make me laugh so much. I love the way you can sound like your average news reporter, and slipping in insults and swear words as if it is normal. Not only that, when you sometimes even break character (like in your retrospective on Transformers: The Movie), and then bounce back into narration as if nothing happened. I don't know if this came naturally to you, or if it was something you had to work on, but it always brings a smile to my face. You're awesome, Oliver!

Please do Twister its one of my favourite films. Also I was surprised and pleased to learn from you it did well at the box office.

Its funny how Hollywood goes in cycles. Like the mid to late 90s with its disaster movie trend with this, Daylight, Armageddon and some other I can't name off the top of my head. Kind of how the early 70s saw disaster movies like 'Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, Earthquake. I wonder when the next wave of Disaster movies is due?

Another great review Oliver, I'm just wondering from the amazing intro's and endings of your reviews how has Hollywood not hired you to make every trailer for every movie yet?

Absolutely no reason to comment on a 7 year old vid, but Oliver talks about younger viewers. I was 8 when this came out, was somehow allowed to watch it over and over, and me and my friends couldn't get enough of it. It had everything.

I would love it if you reviewed The Edge with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin.

Awesome stuff. I'm glad you did this one because I haven't seen it since the late '90s. I remember enjoying it a good bit back then and I'm glad to see the effects have still held up.

always a great joy when i see a new upload, you do really amazing work. Kudos to you sir. :)

Great Review Oliver, Dante's Peak is my All-time favourite Disaster movie, simply because it did what other disaster movies of that time and even today failed to do, which is to provide tension and suspense, Everytime i watch Dante's Peak It still keeps me on the edge of my seat, I love the Action scenes, the effects are still amazing to this very day, Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton were also an excellent pairing in the film, and i appreciate the movie taking a more realistic approach to a volcanic disaster. 4/5 for me

I love how when the movie starts Pierce Brosnon’s character is on vacation, then his boss calls him in to investigate volcanic activity at Dante’s Peak..then when the boss arrives at the town, he rebukes Pierce for investigating the volcano and tells him he needs a vacation and gives him 2 weeks off.

when i was a kid this movie scared me , not like the jump-scare in horror films. The boat scene was shocking

Love this film x great video as always Oliver....I'm ploughing through your retrospectives during lockdown xx hope you're well xx

I loved this film as a kid, I enjoyed the stuff before the action because I remember the build up being scary etc. I haven't seen it in many years but its interesting to look at it now. Its quite surprising how good the vfx are.

Another great in dept review of one of my childhood favorite movies.I never knew those behind the scenes stuff , thanks.

"Maybe we shouldn't be hiking HERE!!!!!!!" Great job Oli, I'm going to revisit this one I think.

This and Twister are two of the best disaster movies where the practical effects have really aged well.

I was 9 when I saw this in theaters, and I didn't find it dull at all. In fact, I remember all the key scenes 20 years later despite not having seen it since. In my generation, I feel like our collective consciousness has forgotten this movie when referencing 90s disaster movies, which is a shame. Dante's Peak certainly left an impression on me. And rewatching the special effects on your video, it certainly holds up spectacularly.

I love Dante's Peak. Loved it as a kid and love it more now since i appreciate practical effects way more now. Fun flick.

I always wanted to live in a town like Dantes Peak. Before the lava obviously.

I remember one thing from this movie - when Grandma jumped off the boat and sacrificed herself in the boiling water.

AGREE! One of my guilty pleasures. Saw it 4 or 5 timee at pics. Still a favourite. Actually, first viewing I was blown away.

The miniatures were amazing in this movie. I love practical effects in movies and this was a treat.

I never get tired of watching your work Oliver. You really are a master of your craft.

i loved this movie, even today i watch it from time to time, but the review cemented it as one of my favorite movies from the 90's. thanks for the upload xD

Wow I have ever always admire Mayor Rachel Wando ( Linda Hamilton) 💗💗 she is so breathtakingly talented in the best film -Dante's Peak (1997 ) 💗💗

12:02 - that cameraman jiggle is worth an Oscar alone!! :-D

One of my long list of favorite movies. 1997 nostalgia. Went to see this when Star Wars 20th anniversary showings were sold out that weekend. However the following weekend was nothing but a New Hope and a pretty empty theatre.

I was actually in this film. As an extra. Mostly in the town destruction scenes and when the volcano first erupts. It was a lot of fun and interesting. The amount of stuff they destroyed was very real. Parts of buildings collapsing, vehicles being crushed, etc. Lots of hectic scenes with people falling to the ground and being trampled. Lots of stunt work and the sort. I was also in the gymnasium scene as an extra when Pierce and Linda were speaking to the townspeople. We were there for HOURS. Pierce kept screwing up his lines, lol. Not even kidding, they probably did 2O takes of just that dialog, not to mention the action sequence that followed. Anyhoo, it really is a fun movie and I always tell people to watch it if they haven’t seen it.

Great review! As a Geologist myself, this is my favourite disaster movie. The fact they had a consultant for the science really shows. I still rewatch this one wiht joy. (Volcano, on the other hand can crawl in a ditch and die. That movie is SO bad on so many levels, my word!)

I was 10 when this came out, I watched my home copy A LOT, love this movie.

Totally agree that Dante's Peak simply isn't memorable. I bet it's the most aired catastrophe movie on TV, at least over here in Sweden, felt like it was on every year while I was younger. But despite having seen it a few times I'm hard pressed to remember anything specific about it.

Dante's Peak officially turns 25 today! I'm happy my dad bought the vhs we watched it repeatedly in the Adirondacks Amazing it went up against Volcano the same time but this is more scientifically accurate according to the US geological survey Made $178 million from a $110 million budget The critics didn't take kindly too it saying the disaster scenes are excellent but the story and dialogue is consistently bad Pierce Brosnan is a terrific lead next to Linda Hamilton though and I really like the kids too James Newton Howard and John Frizzle did a very good job with the score but it's a shame Frizzle's composing of music didn't take off and that Charles Hallahan passed away from a heart attack several months after the movie opened Yes there's scientific liberties and many of the volcano activity is slightly exaggerated/contrived but the movie is still one of my favorites growing up Stupid but awesome Pretty cool since its release it garnered a cult following among genre enthusiasts

Daylight is really good! Nice retro as always mate.

The truck driving out of lava was anything but realistic science. lololol

Great vid Oliver, Ive always loved this movie. Growing up in the 70s and 80s we used to love these disaster movies and it was great to get them back again.

I was living just outside of Wallace in a neighboring town called Osburn while this movie was filmed. I can remember our public access Channel constantly covering the filming process. It was really cool to have something so large-scale going on in such a small town. Great memorys ^_^

Will there be any Retrospective review for Jim Carrey's The Mask?

19:50 "But she suffers the consequences of being a pain in the ass." Haha damn Oliver

One of my all times favourites, ever since I first watched it as a kid till only watching it last week. I loved building models as a kid and when I learnt these big action sequences with scale models, I loved it even more.

I love these Retrospective/Reviews; please keep them coming!

Best disaster film in human history. DANTE'S PEAK (1997)

I met one of the extras from Dante's Peak when I was a kid. Dude was a Wallace local working at the Walmart in my city. I don't remember how I found out he was an extra but he gave me some of the "ash" and some of the stuff he was allowed to keep from being there for filming. I was star struck. He wasnt Pierce Brosnan, he was just a guy from Idaho and I thought he was the coolest person ever. Best celebrity I've ever met despite his stardom.

I watched this as a kid and again recently. I was surprised to see how entertaining it still is. The characters feel believable enough, the build-up and the disaster worked well and the chemistry between the two leads was great. There were some cheesy moments like the ridiculous scene of the dog's jump into the truck but aside from that, it works. If you're looking for an entertaining 90's romp on a boring afternoon don't hesitate and give this one a watch.

Please do an Austin Powers retrospective

9:43 Sadly, this was one of Charlie Hallahan's last movies 😔 1943-1997 #Godspeed #gonetoosoon

The best disaster movie by far, story, effects, and realism were spot on as well as the acting. Huge blockbusters can't hold a candle to this because it's BELIEVABLE. There are some things that aren't but they are used for setting the suspense not gratuitous excitement.

The irony of wanting all the science to be accurate yet having multiple sequences of people running from and escaping a pyroclastic flow.

This is one of my favorite movies.

You think you might do a commentary for Dante's Peak??? Great review btw and I agree with a lot what you felt about it.

This was the second movie bought on vhs as a teen and always loved it , really glad you reviewed this excellent but overlooked movie.

I consider myself something of a movie snob, but my biggest guilty pleasure is disaster films, and Dante's peak is one of my favorites. The effects really sell the disaster and the thought of being chased by a pyroclastic cloud still haunts me to this day.

Fun thing I've noticed about the score - it was clearly inspired by the score to the IMAX film "Everest" in sections, leading me to believe the film used a lot of Everest cues as part of its temp score. Still...wonderful score. (Also, I believe John Frizzell was a protege of James Newton Howard, and I think it was JNH who recommended him to score the film - but I could be wrong)

Happy 4th of July Oliver. Great Retrospective/Review as always. I only saw bits of this movie whenever it was TV but never gave a full sit through. Looking at footage you got for this video, I have to say it looks really fantastic. I miss practical effects as well, even though they are still used from time to time, all effects seem to have to be done in CGI and depending on how it's used, it could look really good or it could look really bad. I'm gonna give this film a full watch sometime, looks like a fun and serious disaster movie.

Thank you. This was a very enjoyable review, as always. I don't think the water into which the grandma jumped was boiling though. It may certainly have been hot but I remember the concern being that it had turned into acid. Thanks again. Dante's Peak is still one of my favourite films and I appreciate you giving it this much attention.

Hey love the work man absolutely excellent stuff you know I actually have a request that I'm almost Shure won't fit the criteria or at least float your boat but I would really REALLY love a trainspotting(1996) review it's my fav film of all time and even if you don't review it I would still like to know if you've seen it and your opinion on it

I saw this movie in the theater when I was 13 and found it quite terrifying, unlike most other disaster movies. It was always the scary, realistic one to me.

Ruth was loosely inspired by Mount St Helen local, Harry Truman( not the president. ;) )who refused to budge from his cabin during the evacuations and ultimately died in the eruption. He was later portrayed by actor Art Carney in the 1981 film St. Helens.

My grandpa loved disaster movies while I was growing up, even though we watched this movie dozens of times a month I can never get bored of it. Even now at 21, I still love this movie and its effects. The miniature shots were too realistic to be CG and I could tell they were miniatures, but that's only because I grew up on movies that used more miniature shots than cg effects. Specifically, all Toho Godzilla movies from 2005 and before.

I saw it recently and yes, it still looks AMAZING, I seriously don't understand why Hollywood can't keep doing this more practical, specially big ass blockbuster films. I loved this movie as a teen the first time I watched and still do, Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton are amazing in the film, the kids annoyed me but not enough to take me out of the enjoyment. Really hope more people find this film, it's one of the few big special effects 90' film that was actually pretty damn good.

just a quick note, in the boat scene the water is acidic not hot. hence why it starts to sink as it's made from metal.

Another fantastic retrospective! Thank you!

Not going to lie, my first name is Dante... so that means I must instantly like this film...

Great review and tribute to the film! 👍

I like to view this movie as the Jurassic Park of disaster movies, in terms of how many really good special effects it crammed into a movie, the seamless blend of CGI and miniature effects. Yeah the script is kinds melodramatic at times, but the music is great, it feels a hell of a lot more grounded in realism compared to a certain other 1997 disaster movie, I just appreciate this film quite a bit more than others for it's attention to realism in terms of capturing the epic scope of a volcanic eruption, not all of its realistic (especially that acid lake BS) but for the most part it gets a lot of the science right. Plus, I'm a bit of a volcano enthusiast so I was destined to like this movie. Solid 7/10 movie.

Great film. I went to see it on the big screen 20 years ago.

I saw the promos for Dante's Peak on Pay-Per-View, back when I was attending elementary school days. Rented on VHS📼, as well as had The VHS📼when I was attending middle school then got The Collector's Edition DVD back when I was done with high school.

I love dogs and thank god they all survive even under the most ridiculous of circumstances! Although I can think of one instance of where they did something horrendous to a dog - it was the Fly II. Can anyone think of other instances where the dog didn't make it?

It looks so real and so dangerous. I love the practical efects!

I watched this film at the cinema and loved it then. Bit of trivia for you-Brosnan would continually get booked for speeding on his way to set. He had a new Porsche, which I believe he got before he signed for Goldeneye, and really took liberties with it!

Huh, I remember watching this on VHS as a kid but just lumped into the same "Meh, it is just a volcano twister" and ignored it. Now watching this review I think I need to find it and watch it again as the special effects and actual story seem to pretty good. Now that I am a bit older I think I will appreciate it more.

Oliver Harper: Volcano was surprisingly entertaining in some regards Also Oliver Harper: *Cuts to scene where the subway worker is fucking melting in the lava*

I saw this movie back in high school and it was terrifying. I still enjoy it though and I still enjoy the movie Twister as well.

the 90s were full of great movies full of pratical effects, Dantes Peak is just one of them. Always brings me good memories

What I remember most about this movie was how well-done all the scenes were where the main characters were in danger. From the moment the volcano erupted, there were no wasted scenes. It maintained the tension nicely

Although not a film i have ties to this was one of your best reviews. Factual and interesting!