Opened: May 8, 1998

Directed by: Mimi Leder

Starring: Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, Rya Kihlstedt, Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell, Ron Eldard, Jon Favreau, Laura Innes, Bruce Witz, Mary McCormack, Richard Schiff, Betsy Brantley, Leelee Sobieski, Blair Underwood, Dougray Scott, Mark Moses, Aleksandr Baluev, Mike O’Malley, Jason Dohring, Francis C. McCarthy, Kurtwood Smith, O’Neal Compton, Kimberly Huie, Denise Crosby & Charles Martin Smith

Deep Impact desperately wants to be a disaster movie with a heart. However, the melodramatic storyline and all-too-quick catastrophe makes it fail in both departments.

Teen astronomer Leo Beiderman (Elijah Wood) discovers a comet, which is discovered to be heading straight for Earth and will result in an extinction level event. President Tom Beck (Morgan Freeman) sends a crew to space to attempt to break up the comet to lessen the impact.

While it’s not great even at the time of release, this film has aged poorly due to low-budget special effects. The comet doesn’t look real in the slightest and it takes you out of the intensity that should be building throughout the film.

The script is weak with many predictable storylines that will make you groan as they unfold.

Final say: No impact. ★★☆☆☆