Maximum Velocity (2003) Online

Maximum Velocity is your basic mid-budget disaster movie. The characters are superficially likable but undeveloped, the plot is predictable, and the disaster itself unlikely in the extreme. It is comprised of a potpourri of major cultural concerns: collision with an asteroid, global warming, superstorms, and the venality and hubris of the government, in this case represented by the character of Air Force General Anderson (played by B-movie veteran Michael Ironside). The plot attempts to exploit the tensions between the protagonist, Dr Briggs (Dale Midkiff) and Anderson, and the tension inherent in a small group of people in a tin can battling a superstorm for the fate of the planet, but neither attempt succeeds. I am powerfully reminded of the "climax" of the earthquake movie 10.5, when the seismologists read off the increasing power of the quake as though there is any doubt in our minds that the earthquake will in fact reach 10.5.

If you are a fan of disaster movies, in particular the lower-quality exemplars of the genre, this movie is a don't-miss solely in the interests of completeness. If, however, you'd like to see a good plot, dynamic characterization, or some semblance of feasibility, you should probably skip it. It is so far from being memorable that as I watch some of the details are fading. However, I am watching it, so if you're an undemanding disasterophile like me, watch it if you catch it on cable.

A good cast composed of war and sci fi veterans (Ironside) and up and coming talent (Midkiff, Carter, Toersz, Jostyn, etc) is assembled in this medium-low budget disaster film. The plot completely lacks any scientific plausibility, but tries pretty hard to generate a modicum of believability and suspense anyway. Essentially, the air force has been developing a secret weapon capable of producing or controlling an incredibly violent storm. This weapon involves flying a large aircraft into a hurricane at high speed. Just as the project is shut down, a stealth meteor has a near miss with earth and stirs up a super-storm which will make the East coast of North America uninhabitable for hundreds of years, if not forever. Note that the 'black comet (sic)' is apparently undetected by our planet's multitude of astronomers because it is black!!!! I am not kidding. So, the pilot and scientist who lead the original Stormfury team are reluctantly recalled to reverse-engineer the storm. A few subplots are tossed in for seasoning. Essentially, the plot combines poor comprehension of a number of legitimate contemporary concerns with a variety of pop environmental paranoias and adds Michael Ironside.

The film is not quite as bad as "The Day After Tomorrow" but don't get me wrong - it's still pretty bad. The acting is mostly good. The directing, editing, effects and cinematography are adequate - though not particularly interesting. Philip Roth produced and directed, drawing on his very rapidly growing repertoire of mediocre low-budget action and sci fi films to good advantage. Roth knows how to crank 'em out and keep 'em under-budget. Given the idiocy of the story line, this would have been a far greater disaster under less competent management. The script is pretty flat and limits character development but keeps everything moving and doesn't lose focus.

Just out of curiosity I did a wee bit of research on DEJ Productions. You might want to follow in my tracks. The Company has an amazing productivity and has been responsible for a vast array of low-mid budget films which span many genres. Among their portfolio you might notice the 2005 Academy Award winner "Crash". No connection, just a fun and fruity factoid.

DEJ puts out a huge amount of movies made from a low budget. Some just over a million dollars - which may be a nice income for you and I; but merely nothing for making a film...strange but true.

However most of their titles are truly bad...some laughable bad and some just outright horrible to even think it could have made it past page one of the shooting script.

This movie however is still somewhat entertaining. Though immediately you know that there is no big money put behind it...the most well known cast is Michael Ironside...

A natural disaster flick which must have been one of the best scripts to been dropped on a production office desk for DEJ and UFO film productions.

This makes the rest of their films pale in comparison.

It's entertaining, but it would be a better TV movie than a feature film...however rainy days do come from time to time and this is one that would fit right in the VCR or DVD machine on a rainy day.

Is Michael Ironside so desperate he must resort to rubbish like this, which is so beneath him?

The plot was amazingly cookie cutter and predictable but that wasn't the worst of it. The science was some of the most pitifully inaccurate I've seen in a movie which was not intentionally a parody. You might as well try to put out forest fires with a giant vacuum cleaner which sucks them up only to deposit them in a cold climate to help warm all the little children suffering from the cold.

Where is MST3K when you need it?

Toss this drivel in the trash heap. There's no redeeming value here for anyone.

This film pretty much lived up to the expectations of a low budget action movie. There were some bad actors, the leads were ok and the story and dialogue was pretty predictable. Pretty much all the characters play parts they've played many times before. The Air Force was not shown in the best of lights, with only scheming and weaselish characters in the forefront. It wasn't really campy by my definition, which might've made it more fun. It's lack of shining moments of good or bad made to film pretty forgettable. I just saw it myself a day ago and the details have already faded. Basically if you go into it with no expectations then you'll come out of it shrugging.

I don't know if it is because I watch a lot of these sci-fi movies, but I predicted virtually the entire storyline as soon as I found out that the main character was married to the woman in the plane. The storyline wasn't the most original I've seen (scientist working for government+ leaves with grudge+natural disaster that only scientist can solve+comes back), but the acting wasn't a total disappointment. Don't expect any real surprises, the movie pretty much follows a formula that could be applied to most "natural disaster" movies. However, the fact that the movie was predictable does not make it bad, I rather liked it. It's the kind of movie you want to check out once and then watch again only if you're really bored.

The plot: A killer storm threatens to destroy the entire eastern seaboard, unless a courageous team can use a secret military project to save everyone.

This is one of the most boring disaster movies that I can remember seeing. In a pastiche of disaster scenarios, the killer storm is blamed on several different causes, including global warming and a near-hit by a meteor. I think there were more, but it was so boring, jumbled, and ridiculous that I was already losing interest.

It wouldn't have been so bad, if there had been any characters that were interesting, but they all seemed like cardboard cutouts of B movie stereotypes. They kept going on about the stupidest, most boring plot elements, as well. Unlike The Core, which was based on infamously bad science, Maximum Velocity really doesn't have anything else in it. I could sit back and enjoy The Core as a "so bad it's good" B movie, but with Maximum Velocity, I was constantly thinking to myself, "How much longer does this movie have to go?"

I eventually bailed on it after 45 minutes. I just couldn't take it any more. If the movie actually gets any better after the midpoint, I'd be amazed, because the first half sure isn't winning any awards (except possibly a Razzie). Normally, I hate giving up on movies, but I couldn't see any reason why I should punish myself with another 45 minutes of boredom.

Don't be fooled by the movie advertising Michael Ironside in a starring role. Maybe if he'd actually been the star, I'd have stuck it out.

The first review is right on! This nonsense sounds like it came from one of those Al Gore environmental wacko books or movies! A "black comet" coming within 40 miles of Earth causing a massive Hurricane almost instantly, so massively large, that will never die, with 500 MPH winds???? More propaganda "junk science" from the global warming nuts! WE do not need any more junk science fiction movies like this piece of trash, or movie like the "Day After Tomorrow"!!!!! The silly uneducated public will buy this nonsense, because of all the silly pandering uneducated politicians, who keep trying to convince us that puny little old man can cause all this havoc.