Meteor (1979)

I was searching for something to watch earlier today and stumbled onto one of the classic disaster flicks that I grew up with. This was ironic, because just yesterday I mentioned this genre to someone on X. Because the conversation was still fresh in my mind, I decided to sit back and enjoy 1979s Meteor. 

Plot: The U.S. must join forces with the U.S.S.R. in order to destroy a gigantic asteroid heading straight for Earth.

Ahh, the 70s were such a good decade for fear mongering and disaster films. While this one isn’t one of the better entries, it is an interesting throwback to that era and genre. The ensemble cast is deep and they put on solid performances. While some of the storyline seems a bit out of touch, having grown up in that time, I felt at home with the Cold War aspects that were a constant throughout the film. The effects are dated, the soundtrack doesn’t blend, and some of the overall feel was uneven and cheesy, but that is what made those All-Star disaster films so much fun. The story lacks tremendous depth but it is interesting, casting is spot on, and there are moments of suspense that do hold up. In the end, this one didn’t age well because much of the underlying atmosphere was tied to the Soviet Union and the Cold War. If you grew up during that time frame like I did, then this one will be appreciated. It is far from perfect and nowhere near the best disaster movie from the era, but it is a fun trip back to when the world and attitudes were totally different.