Airplane vs. Volcano Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Airplane vs. Volcano Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 2, 2014

Airplane vs. Volcano is, quite literally, Pompeii meets Air Force One or, in Asylum parlance, Apocalypse Pompeii meets Air Collision. The "Mockbuster" studio, then, goes double-duty for this one, a fairly cheap and mildly entertaining tale of a passenger airplane stuck on autopilot as it circles newly formed volcanic islands. Purportedly based on a true story, the film is built around an implausible premise and populated by the perfect storm of perfect Disaster movie characters (the passenger who's a capable pilot to take over for the real, decades pilots; the undercover air marshall; the mother and her young son; the guy who's about to become a young newlywed; the caring stewardess; the nutcase; and the communications wizard) who all work towards saving all souls on board (well, all the people who populate the half-a-dozen or so rows of first class; the rest of the passengers are never seen nor heard from) before it's too late.

Airplane vs. Volcano has "Asylum" written all over it, from the effectively cheesy visual effects (there are actually a few decently cool shots of the plane flying over volcanos, though they're "outclassed" by some truly putrid visuals, for example of a passenger maneuvering outside the plane) to the endless loop of music meant to pump up artificial tension where little, or none, exists. To the film's credit, though, it starts rather strongly and builds up a ridiculous, yet entertaining, premise. Unfortunately, it loses steam "on the ground" during Robin Givens' "control room" scenes and, later, as the tension settles down and the airplane, and its passengers, more or less shift into autopilot until the final minutes of the final act. Still, it's slightly better than the usual Asylum filler film, not by leaps and bounds but it enjoys slightly better acting and a decent script for a film of its size.

Airplane vs. Volcano Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Airplane vs. Volcano features the typical Asylum 1.78:1-framed transfer. The HD digital photography offers clean, accurate, well-defined details and bold colors. Faces and clothes and the cheap airplane set are all nicely revealing, while clothes, airplane seats, and digital lava all feature stable colors. Banding and noise are minimal.

Airplane vs. Volcano Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Airplane vs. Volcano zooms onto Blu-ray with a strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation offers robust music, particularly when it's the centerpiece and not overlaid on top of dialogue. It's well spaced, hefty, and clearly defined throughout the range. Various sound effects are nicely immersive and strong. Dialogue delivery is flawless.

Airplane vs. Volcano Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Airplane vs. Volcano contains the following bonus features:

• Audio Commentary.
• "Making of" Featurette (HD, 7:43).
• Gag Reel (HD, 2:10).
• Previews: Additional Asylum titles.

Airplane vs. Volcano Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Airplane vs. Volcano is little more than a cheap Asylum time killer, but it's a step above much of the competition. A decent script, fair acting, and a halfway interesting, albeit implausible, premise help make this a decent enough watch, save for a ridiculously slow middle act. The Blu-ray features the typically great Asylum video and audio presentations. Extras are typical of Asylum, too, this one featuring the rare commentary track. Rent it.