Dante's Peak (1997)

27% of critics liked it
(26 reviews)
45% of users liked it
(220,917 ratings)

Old Smokey develops a bad temper in this volcanic disaster spectacle. Harry Dalton (Pierce Brosnan) is a volcano expert whose interest became more than academic after he lost the woman he loved in a volcanic emergency. When he is sent to investigate unusual seismic activity in the quiet Pacific… More Old Smokey develops a bad temper in this volcanic disaster spectacle. Harry Dalton (Pierce Brosnan) is a volcano expert whose interest became more than academic after he lost the woman he loved in a volcanic emergency. When he is sent to investigate unusual seismic activity in the quiet Pacific Northwest community of Dante's Peak, he discovers people boiled to death in the local hot spring and plant and animal life dying or displaying unusual illnesses near the city's supposedly dormant volcano. Harry becomes convinced that a major volcanic catastrophe is in the cards. Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton), the town's mayor, is a single mother who also runs the local cafe, and now that Dante's Peak has been named one of the most desirable small towns in America, tourists have been flocking to the diner and other local businesses. While concerned with the safety of her community, Rachel takes a cynical view of Harry's warnings about the volcano; she has no desire to alarm either the town's residents or the wealthy visitors lining the city's pockets. Nevertheless, Harry tries to convince Rachel of the potential danger, as they begin to develop feelings for each other that are not strictly professional. The summer of 1997 was a big season for killer volcanoes at the movies, as Dante's Peak and Volcano opened within a few months of each other. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Roger Donaldson
Written By: Leslie Bohem
Genres: Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Feb 7, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Jan 20, 1998
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
Rotten disaster movie from that rotten time when disaster movies had a comeback.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
A popcorn pleaser lava-flown with earnestness
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Another mindless adventure flick you can add to my Guilty Pleasures pile.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Film C

I really enjoyed Dantes Peak, maybe not the best disaster movie by volcanoe but nevertheless an enjoyable one! It still has excitement and suspense even if the story doesnt flow as well as other nautre drama ones! Brosnan is good and a strong lead so possibly a watch purely for hiim… More
I really enjoyed Dantes Peak, maybe not the best disaster movie by volcanoe but nevertheless an enjoyable one! It still has excitement and suspense even if the story doesnt flow as well as other nautre drama ones! Brosnan is good and a strong lead so possibly a watch purely for hiim and some good distruction by the volcanoe!
Jeff "

Dante's Peak is quite a good disaster film directed by Roger Donaldson. The film may not be perfect, but considering the amount of disaster films that have come out, Dante's Peak is far better than such films as Twister. The film has a good cast, and engaging story and good… More
Dante's Peak is quite a good disaster film directed by Roger Donaldson. The film may not be perfect, but considering the amount of disaster films that have come out, Dante's Peak is far better than such films as Twister. The film has a good cast, and engaging story and good special effects. I really enjoyed the film, and I thought it was one of the best disaster films since the first few disaster films such as The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. The film won't win any awards, but for what it is, the film is pure entertainment, and definitely delivers it. Dante's Peak is much better than many disaster films that have come out during this period. Though not perfect, this is a fun, thrilling entertaining film that has some good performances and good special effects. As far as disaster films are concerned, this one of the better films compared to many of Roland Emmerich's disaster films such as 2012. Dante's Peak is a good film, and is better than what you'd might initially think. The film compared to other disaster films, is better executed, much more developed and has better action, suspense and thrills. For what it is, Dante's Peak is a good time waster, not perfect but very entertaining. Dante's Peak is a fun viewing experience and is a well executed disaster film. Dante's Peak is mindless action fun, and is worth seeing despite its imperfections.
Michael E

Very science heavy movie, but Pierce Brosnan is always good in those types of movies. If you want to see another Disaster movie from the 90s ide say "Dantes Peak" is one of the best
Christopher A

Dante's Peak is a disaster film about a suposedly extinct volcano that is threatening to errupt. Predictable events, dodgy acting, bad special effects, this film should be a terrible film BUT somehow It works. Despite its shortcomings, Dante's Peak transforms into a… More
Dante's Peak is a disaster film about a suposedly extinct volcano that is threatening to errupt. Predictable events, dodgy acting, bad special effects, this film should be a terrible film BUT somehow It works. Despite its shortcomings, Dante's Peak transforms into a frantic action drama. The chemistry between USGS scientist Harry Dalton (the ever cool Pierce Brosnan) and Mayor Wando (Linda Hamilton) is believable as they look to save the town's people from the angry volcano. Classic moments include the Grandma burning alive in the acid lake (but its OK, Harry is going to take everyone fishing afterwards) and the family dog turning up 15 minutes after they last saw it to jump into the car just as its about to get swamped by molten lava. Good timing. A total guilty pleasure that wont leave you bored. "Neither have I. Listen, when we get out of here, we'll go to Florida, and we'll get us a boat, and gather all of the yummy bait that we can possibly get our hands on, then we'll catch us a big, old fat fish. "
Chris W

Fairly standard blockbuster disaster flick that is incredibly inaccurate for the sake of drama and entertainment. You could say that about a lot of these types of movies, but some are better than others (like Twister). That movie has charm, humor, and fun characters; this does not.… More
Fairly standard blockbuster disaster flick that is incredibly inaccurate for the sake of drama and entertainment. You could say that about a lot of these types of movies, but some are better than others (like Twister). That movie has charm, humor, and fun characters; this does not. The location shooting looks good, though.
Tim S

Not altogether horrible, but mostly bland.
Lenny M

'97, year of da volcano. What do you go wif, Volcano or Dante's Peak? It's in up in the ash cuz they both suck.
Anthony L

A nice family film in which an old lady melts in a lake of acid.
Jason O

I don't see how anybody could give this movie a poor rating. I thought it looked like it wouldn't be that good when I saw the previews, but then it came on Cable TV a few months later and I was bored so I watched it. After watching it, I started to tell all of my friends and… More
I don't see how anybody could give this movie a poor rating. I thought it looked like it wouldn't be that good when I saw the previews, but then it came on Cable TV a few months later and I was bored so I watched it. After watching it, I started to tell all of my friends and my family to watch it cause it was awesome. And it is awesome, it has GREAT special effects, good acting, and great suspense. Out of all the special effects movies that came out in 1997, I liked Dante's Peak better than any of them. It's a lot better than Volcano, which was somewhat a clone of Dante's Peak. If you're like me and you like action movies with great special effects, i would recommend picking this one up today! NOTE: This was my Amazon review from the year 2000, I'm still a big fan of the movie and consider it one of my favorite destruction flicks. Better than most, including "Volcano."
Thomas B

a below average action flick.
Coxxie M

this is a dumb volcano movie that actually burns more brain-cells than people
Mike S

One of my favourite disaster movies of the 90's and a true guilty pleasure. I don't quite understand why it's gotten such bad reviews, because it doesn't fail to entertain and has two very respectable actors in the lead, namely Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton. I… More
One of my favourite disaster movies of the 90's and a true guilty pleasure. I don't quite understand why it's gotten such bad reviews, because it doesn't fail to entertain and has two very respectable actors in the lead, namely Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton. I guess this sub-genre just isn't for everyone, especially as it tends to be short on character development and intelligent writing. Dante's Peak is no exception really, but it has enough excitement and action for me to forgive such shortcomings.
Red L

I thought this movie was pretty lousy. Too predictable, too unbelievable (boat floats on acid, while propeller melts), too hokey (we just lost our grandmother, lets go fishing).
Curtis L

awful.
Candy R

Disaster movie about a volcano eruption. Good cast.
xGary X

Dreary disaster movie in which the volcano is definitely the star. Extremely ordinary, but nowhere near as bad as the one TLJ was in...
Lafe F

Dante's Peak is a character-rich disaster movie. Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton have great chemistry. There are plenty of action scenes, like the truck trying to get over the bridge as it is washed away. Better than Volcano - which came out the same summer. It's got a… More
Dante's Peak is a character-rich disaster movie. Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton have great chemistry. There are plenty of action scenes, like the truck trying to get over the bridge as it is washed away. Better than Volcano - which came out the same summer. It's got a very human element to it, as they make it a priority to rescue some folks. I wonder if they partially based it on Mount St. Helens?
Dean !

An ok disaster film with good SFX.
Sophie B

Loved it! I would hate to be in that situation. Poor dog! It nearly died!!!
Jason S

One of two volcano flicks of this summer. This one was the good one.