Ah, the 1990s!
Stable economy, relative global peace, rich hucksters appearing inThe Little Rascalsinstead of politics.
What did we have to worry about?
And thats why we had to make up trouble and put it on the big screen!
The 1990s werent the first heyday of the disaster movie.
Moreover the release ofJurassic Parkin 1993 inaugurated the rise of CGI graphics, changing special effects forever.
That transition, for better or for worse, is all over these movies.
Godzilla (1998)
At this point, what is there to say aboutGodzilla98 that hasntalready been said?
Yes, its as bloated as it is boring.
Yes, its an insult to the venerable franchise it tries to reinvent for Generation X.
Really, the one last thing that needs to be said aboutGodzillais that the poster rules.
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9.
Armageddon (1998)
Certainly, some people loveArmageddonand would place it perhaps at the top of this list.
They love directorMichael Bays maximalism, all explosions and chaos and hero shots and declarations of feelings.
But for anyone who doesnt like the hyperactive nature of Bayhem, thenArmageddonis a drag.
Even the fun character actor moments get interrupted by unnecessary cuts and get buried under a glossy sheen.
Deep Impact (1998)
Deep Impactis the anti-Armageddon.
However,Deep Impactis very much likeArmageddonin one way: it isnt very good.
No heartstring goes untagged inDeep Impact, no tear left unjerked.
Independence Day (1996)
Okay, yes,Independence Dayis an alien invasion story.
And if disaster movies are about anything, theyre about razing familiar landmarks.
Whenever everyone shuts up and the aliens start blowing stuff up, thenIndependence Daybecomes a joy ride again.
Volcano (1997)
With just its poster alone,Volcanosignals two things that it does better thanDantes Peak.
First of all, theres the title.
No haughty literary pretensions.
No embarrassment about its premise.
It just tells the viewer what theyre going to see.
That no-nonsense approach makesVolcanostill a delight today.
Director Mick Jackson, working from a screenplay by Jerome Armstrong and Billy Ray, does no-frills yeomans work.
Every set piece has clear stakes, every shot establishes the spacial relationships between people and molten lava.
Daylight (1996)
Daylightcame during something of a renaissance for starSylvester Stallone.
Of course mid-90s Stallone hasnt forgotten how to do spectacle, which makesDaylightso much fun.
Twister (1996)
In many ways, director Jan de BontsTwisteris the ideal 90s disaster movie.
And it has the ideal leads for a big budget B-movie of the era in Helen Hunt andBill Paxton.
Most importantly,Twisterhas twisters, giant tornadoes that rip through the landscape in incredible set pieces.
