Deep Impact (1998)
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Humanity must face a desperate struggle for survival as a massive comet is confirmed to be on a collision course with Earth.
The story
After a high school student captures an image of an unidentified object in the night sky, an astronomer realizes it is a comet on a collision course with Earth. As the government prepares for a potential mass extinction, a reporter investigates the mysterious preparations of the administration. The United States and Russia launch a joint mission to intercept the comet with nuclear weapons. However, the mission's outcome leaves the world facing a dual-threat impact, forcing the population to brace for a catastrophic event and a subsequent impact winter that could end all life on the planet's surface.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1998, student Leo Biederman identifies a comet heading toward Earth. The government, led by President Tom Beck, prepares for an 'extinction-level event' (E.L.E.). A joint US-Russian mission, the Messiah, attempts to detonate nuclear bombs to deflect the comet. The explosion splits the comet into two pieces, Wolf and Biederman, both still heading for Earth. Martial law is declared, and a lottery selects citizens for underground shelters. While the public prepares, a massive tsunami caused by the first impact devastates the East Coast and parts of Europe and Africa. Amidst the chaos, individuals like reporter Jenny Lerner and Leo Biederman make desperate choices to find loved ones. In a final act of heroism, the remaining crew of the Messiah flies into the larger comet, Wolf, and detonates their remaining nukes, successfully fragmenting the threat into harmless pieces of ice and rock that light up the sky, allowing the survivors to begin the process of rebuilding.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mimi Leder
- Genres
- science fiction; disaster
- Themes
- survival; sacrifice; humanity's response to catastrophe
- Tone and mood
- brooding; thoughtful
- Setting
- Earth (various locations including Richmond, Virginia; Missouri; and the Atlantic Ocean) during 1998-2000.
- Premise and plot tags
- disaster; space; government conspiracy; survival
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was noted for its brooding tone compared to typical disaster films. It was a commercial success, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 1998.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 45% · scale: percentage · review count: 98; Metacritic · score: 40 · scale: 100 · review count: 20; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Best Science Fiction Film · Saturn Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was the final work of cinematographer Dietrich Lohmann.; The film was released in the same summer as the similarly themed Armageddon.; The character Jenny Lerner was originally intended to work for CNN.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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