Title: Meteor"Meteor" is a 1979 American science-fiction disaster motion picture directed by Ronald Neame and starring international popular actors Sean Connery and Natalie Wood.
Plot SynopsisProminent American researcher Dr. Paul Bradley (Sean Connery) is quickly summoned when a five-mile-wide meteor, christened as "Orpheus", is discovered to be on a collision course with Earth. The challenging task of saving the world falls on his shoulders owing to a satellite defense system he created previously, "Hercules", which, although constructed to safeguard Earth from alien invasions, can possibly deflect the approaching doom of the gigantic meteor.
CenterpieceThe Herculean task shows to be filled with geopolitical stress as the defense system counts on cooperation between the U.S. and Soviet Union, who are otherwise engrossed in Cold War hostilities. A prospective détente becomes the Soviet Union, at first suspicious of the U.S's intentions, also discovers the deadly trajectory of Orpheus through their scientist Dr. Alexei Dubov (Brian Keith) and his interpreter Tatiana Donskaya (Natalie Wood).
The Soviet Union discloses they have a similar satellite system, "Peter the Great", and the 2 superpowers ultimately consent to collaborate under the dire circumstances. The race against time to repurpose both Hercules and Peter the Great for interception of Orpheus forms the main action of the film.
ClimaxThe climax of the motion picture is marked by a series of disasters released by pieces of the meteor, including a terrible tsunami in Hong Kong and avalanches in Switzerland. The most significant challenge is in NYC when a piece triggers a blast in the ocean, creating an enormous wall of water attacking the city. Engineering marvels and synthetic or natural shelters turn useless versus such calamity.
The united effort from the two superpowers culminates in a massive round of nuclear blasts, which successfully press Orpheus into a harmless orbit. The climax preludes to a minute of reflection on the harmful capacity of nuclear arms, formerly held under much contention.
Conclusion"Meteor" concludes with a sententious note on the collective responsibility of the world superpowers in handling their possibly destructive capabilities for the higher excellent and survival of mankind.
Cast and ReceptionThe ensemble cast, together with Connery and Wood, include Karl Malden, Brian Keith, Martin Landau, and Henry Fonda, who included their experienced efficiencies to the film. Despite the expensive production and stellar cast, the movie was a business failure and received mixed reviews for its mediocre special results, clichéd dialogues, and simple geopolitical narrative. However, it has actually been remembered for its uncommon mix of disaster film tropes with the Cold War paranoia of the period, making it an eccentric example of late 1970s popular movie theater.
Top Cast
