I liked the movie, and I though the effects were
great, except in some street shots, where
the lava is going tward Fairfax, they
accidently left out the lava!
I knew someone who worked in a video store and a person came in, picked up a copy which had Tommy Lee and lava all over the front and the word Volcano, then proceeded to ask "Is this one about a volcano?"
My favorite part of this movie is when they save the mall from utter destruction! I laughed uncontrollably in the theatre.
This was an underrated flick, better than the execrable "Twister."
i learned from comment about the Voyager episode "Basics Part Two" that you would sear your lungs near lava.
If that is so, those guys near the action must have asbestos lungs.
Volcano is considered sci-fi/fantasy? Oh, well...
I was a bit disappointed by this film, mainly because of hackneyed dialogue, stereotypical characters & plot points and the overuse of "dramatic" slow-motion shots. Lots of eye candy and action (the film's strong points), but fairly average story.
I also question the geology; I thought that region, though rife with fault lines, wasn't exactly volcanic in nature. (The faults tend to slip past each other, not collide/subduct, where most volcanic action tends to occur.)
So what about the other volcano flick from that year, Dante's Peak? Still Hollywood (although loosely based on the 1980 eruption of Mt St Helens), but at least most of the geology was better handled. (Except for the rescue-the-dog from-the-lava-flow part...if you've seen the film, you know what I mean about credibilty being stretched thin here. And what IS it with volcano films and dogs in peril anyway?) Plus, it was more of a straightforward survival story (as such a disaster flick probably should be), without getting too preachy about racism or bad relationships.
Final side note: DP was filmed in a neat town called Wallace, Idaho. Lots of old (for America) architecture and history. Don't know if I'd want to live there, but it was an interesting stop on a trip I took out west last year.
It's science speculation. In the vein of "What if?", it postulates "What if a volcano formed in LA." In terms of depth, though, it's more of a disaster movie, or thriller than a sci-fi movie.
Wonder if something like this could actually happen.
The question has been asked, and the answer is no. The geology of the LA region will not allow it.
Artistic license at work