The Quake
Reviews
Filipe Manuel Neto
**An imitation of American cinema that comes from Norway.** Disaster films are one of those classics that cinema has used us to, mainly due to the dramatic and bloated Hollywood films. This film is not American, it comes from freezing Norway, but all the melodramatic and emphatic language of US cinema is present throughout the film. I confess that I was a little surprised to see a Norwegian film about a devastating earthquake. I'm not a geologist, but I don't associate the danger of the most intense earthquakes with Norway. The country, naturally, suffers some moderate earthquakes every year and, in fact, a more intense event was recorded at the beginning of the 20th century, in which the capital was seriously affected. However, the Norwegian earthquakes are tickles when compared to those that shake Turkey, China, India and the Atlantic and Hawaiian archipelagos. The Oslo earthquake, which the film talks about, did not even reach an intensity of 6 on the Richter Scale, that is, it was weaker than the recent earthquake in Marrakesh and does not even compare to the presumed 9 that, in 1755, devastated Lisbon and significant parts of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. In any case, the film is reasonably good and entertains us satisfactorily. I didn't see the previous film nor did I know it existed, although I suspected it when I saw some scenes at the beginning, a suspicion that I clarified when documenting myself to write this text. Naturally, being my first contact with Norwegian cinema, I didn't know the director John Andreas Andersen nor do I know any of the actors. However, what I saw pleased me: Andersen shows himself to be a disciple of US cinema and draws inspiration from films like “Volcano”, “Dante's Peak” and “Daylight” in a way that is so evident that it seems like a collage. The script copies elements from these different films and gives us an almost identical story, based on the hero's attempts to warn of an imminent catastrophe despite the deafness of the competent authorities to deal with it. However, the film has strength, drama, soul and movement, avoiding dead moments and making almost no concessions to cheap melodrama. The worst part is seeing that Andersen was unable to create a closed ending, leaving his characters hanging in danger without us knowing how they ended the day. Perhaps more relevant than anything else, including the performance of each of the actors, is the excellent introduction and use of visual effects and CGI, which give us what we are looking for in a film of this kind: chaos, destruction and danger. The film manages to take advantage of the effects to create good dramatic tension and a convincing sense of danger. The actors, of course, are a welcomed help: although Edith Haagenruud-Sande has an irritating character who seems to act without any conscience in the face of danger, the protagonist, Kristoffer Joner, is solid enough to transform his hero into someone sympathetic. Less fortunate were the two actresses Ane Dahl Torp and Kathrine Johansen: despite all their efforts, which I recognize, their characters are left here, creating the illusion of a potential love triangle that never materializes. I also didn't like Jonas Oftebro's character, an actor who doesn't seem solid or consistent either: his character's father shows up unexpectedly when he was going out with his girlfriend, and he is unable to tell the little princess “be patient, we'll go out later; at least, I’m going to serve my dad's a hot coffee and listen to what he wants”? What a beautiful son!
Movie Recommendation
The Wave2015-08-28Although theorised, no one is really ready when a mountain pass above the scenic and narrow Geiranger fjord in Norway collapses and creates a tsunami over 300 feet high. A geologist is one of those caught in the middle of it.More...
The Wind2018-05-05Lizzy is a tough, resourceful frontierswoman settling a remote stretch of land on the 19th-century American frontier. Isolated from civilization in a desolate wilderness where the wind never stops howling, she begins to sense a sinister presence that seems to be borne of the land itself, and when a newlywed couple arrive at a nearby homestead, their presence amplifies Lizzy's fears, setting into motion a shocking chain of events.More...
I Can Quit Whenever I Want2019-04-12Pedro, Arturo and Eligio are three college professors who lost their job because of economic crisis. Accidentally they find a solution for all of their problems; a multi-vitamin that allows them to party all night long without any side effects. The three professors will be launched into the world of nightclubs and the shady business, in order to market the merchandise. Of course, it seems that they are not as prepared for it as they thought.More...
The Poison Rose2019-05-23A down-on-his-luck PI is hired by his old flame to investigate a murder. But while the case at first appears routine, it slowly reveals itself to be a complex interwoven web of crimes, suspects and dead bodies.More...
The Tunnel2019-12-25When a truck crashes inside a tunnel, people on their way home for Christmas are brutally trapped in a deadly fire. With a blizzard raging outside, and the first responders struggling to get to the accident, it's every man for himself.More...
My Beloved Enemy2018-10-04A professor saves the life of a wounded hitman who, in exchange, promises to find and kill his enemy. Even though the professor says he has no enemies, the killer goes on a mission and transforms the professor's life.More...
Guardian of the Palace2020-07-31'Guardian of the Palace' tells the story of a time when a plague spreads in Heishun (Blackwater) Town during the warring warlords, and Tianya, Wunian and Jiujiu set out on a treasure hunt to find the Golden Moon Gem that cures the plague. The warlord Feng Pei Chuan was trailing them and tried to take the gems for himself, but Tianya and the others managed to subdue Feng Pei Chuan, reclaim the gems and save the people.More...
The Dawn2019-09-27Following the murder of her family at the hands of her father in the wake of World War I, a young woman is sent to live in a convent. However, the demons that plagued her father follow, reawakening the nightmares of her past.More...
Red Hill2010-11-05Young police officer Shane Cooper's first day on duty, after relocating to the small town of Red Hill, rapidly turns into a nightmare. News of a prison break, involving convicted murderer Jimmy Conway, sends the local law enforcement officers - led by the town's ruling presence, Old Bill - into a panic and leads to a terrifying and bloody confrontation.More...
Devilman2004-10-09A scientific exploration in search of a new energy source unleashes a group of powerful demons who begin possessing human bodies and destroying civilization. Close friends Akira and Ryo wind up on different sides of this epic struggle. Akira’s inner strength allows him to maintain his identity and fight for good, but the weaker Ryo is completely overtaken by Satan himself.More...
The Rescue2020-12-18A rescue unit within the Chinese Coast Guard are forced to overcome their personal differences to resolve a crisis.More...
Airplane vs Volcano2014-03-28When a commercial airliner is trapped within a ring of erupting volcanoes, the passengers and crew must find a way to survive - without landing.More...
Phobias2021-02-28Five dangerous patients, suffering from extreme phobias at a government testing facility, are put to the ultimate test under the supervision of a crazed doctor and his quest to weaponize fear.More...
The Dwarves of Demrel2018-09-14In this steampunk fantasy adventure, a collapse imprisons three dwarven miners who must now work collectively to combat starvation, despair, and a mysterious creature.More...
Tarzan Triumphs1943-01-20Zandra, white princess of a lost civilization, comes to Tarzan for help when Nazis invade the jungle with plans to conquer her people and take their wealth. Tarzan, the isolationist, becomes involved after the Nazis shoot at him and capture Boy: "Now Tarzan make war!"More...
Earthquake in New York1998-10-11A cop is after a nasty serial killer. Cop's wife and kids are somewhere in the city too. Then a disastrous earthquake hits the city.More...
The Quantum Devil2023-02-26A team of scientists face dangerous consequences after they conduct a clandestine experiment to breach the quantum barrier and travel to another dimension.More...
Tomb Invader2018-03-09Archaeologist Alabama Channing sets off to uncover the ancient tomb of Quin Shi Haung, which promises riches and answers to family mysteries.More...
Human Experiments1979-10-19A demented prison doctor performs gruesome shock therapy experiments on inmates.More...
Meridian1990-11-10After her father’s death, Catherine returns to her family’s gothic castle in Italy and gets caught in the web of a mysterious love triangle.More...
Similar Movies
Wild Hogs
2007-03-02Restless and ready for an adventure, four suburban bikers leave the safety of their subdivision and head out on the open road. But complications ensue when they cross paths with an intimidating band of New Mexico bikers known as the Del Fuegos.Daylight
1996-12-06A group of armed robbers fleeing the police head for the New Jersey Tunnel and run right into trucks transporting toxic waste. The spectacular explosion that follows results in both ends of the tunnel collapsing and the handful of people who survived the explosion are now in peril. Kit Latura is the only man with the skill and knowledge to lead the band of survivors out of the tunnel before the structure collapses.Freeway
1996-08-23Following the arrest of her mother, Ramona, young Vanessa Lutz decides to go in search of her estranged grandmother. On the way, she is given a ride by school counselor Bob Wolverton. During the journey, Lutz begins to realize that Bob is the notorious I-5 Killer and manages to escape by shooting him several times. Wounded but still very much alive, Bob pursues Lutz across the state in this modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.Drunken Master
1978-10-05After getting into trouble, a mischievous young man is sent to train under a brutal, but slovenly old beggar, who teaches him the secret of the Drunken Fist.The Next Karate Kid
1994-07-18Mr. Miyagi decides to take Julie, a troubled teenager, under his wing after he learns that she blames herself for her parents' demise and struggles to adjust with her grandmother and fellow pupils.Cowboy Bebop: The Mov...
2001-09-01The year is 2071. Following a terrorist bombing, a deadly virus is released on the populace of Mars and the government has issued the largest bounty in history, for the capture of whoever is behind it. The bounty hunter crew of the spaceship Bebop; Spike, Faye, Jet and Ed, take the case with hopes of cashing in the bounty. However, the mystery surrounding the man responsible, Vincent, goes deeper than they ever imagined, and they aren't the only ones hunting him.The World According t...
1982-07-23A struggling young writer finds his life and work dominated by his unfaithful wife and his radical feminist mother, whose best-selling manifesto turns her into a cultural icon.Seven Pounds
2008-12-18An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.The Lover
1992-01-22A poor French teenage girl engages in an illicit affair with a wealthy Chinese heir in 1920s Saigon. For the first time in her young life she has control, and she wields it deftly over her besotted lover throughout a series of clandestine meetings and torrid encounters.The Wash
2001-11-14With the rent due and his car booted, Sean has to come up with some ends...and fast. When his best buddy and roommate Dee Loc, suggests that Sean get a job busting suds down at the local car wash.Japanese Story
2003-08-30Sandy, a geologist, finds herself stuck on a field trip to the Pilbara desert with a Japanese man she finds inscrutable, annoying and decidedly arrogant. Hiromitsu's view of her is not much better. Things go from bad to worse when they become stranded in one of the most remote regions on Earth.The Scorpion King 2: ...
2008-07-19The heroic tale of young Mathayus and his relentless quest for justice against an evil and powerful villain, King Sargon. Mathayus faces heart-stopping tribulations during his adventurous, odds-defying trajectory toward his ultimate destiny: becoming the formidable warrior king of an ancient desert empire.Mr. Mom
1983-07-22Jack and Caroline are a couple making a decent living when Jack suddenly loses his job. They agree that he should stay at home and look after the house while Caroline works. It's just that he's never done it before, and really doesn't have a clue...Primitive War
2025-08-21During the Vietnam War, a recon unit ventures to an isolated jungle valley to uncover the fate of a missing platoon. They soon find themselves in a fight for their lives against an unexpected enemy — prehistoric dinosaurs.Osmosis
2023-08-13Brazilian mission commander Sam struggles with establishing a stable connection from Earth to his lover. German scientist Joy explores planet Kepler 452b at her research facility for Alchemy Plasma, a revolutionary energy source. Their long-distance relationship faces doom, when alien Dardesh invaders attack the human outpost, 1400 light years away.Elite Squad
2007-10-12In 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento from BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion) is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged.Tropic Thunder
2008-08-09A group of self-absorbed actors set out to make the most expensive war film ever. After ballooning costs force the studio to cancel the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they encounter real bad guys.The Cloud
2006-03-16DIE WOLKE (The Cloud) is about a breakdown of a nuclear power station in Germany and the story of two teenager-lovers Hannah and Elmar who take refuge. 38.000 people die and Hannah unfortunately becomes contaminated.Resident Evil: Extinc...
2007-09-20Years after the Racoon City catastrophe, survivors travel across the Nevada desert, hoping to make it to Alaska. Alice joins the caravan and their fight against hordes of zombies and the evil Umbrella Corp.The Time Shifters
1999-10-17Tom Merrick gets caught up in a time-traveling conspiracy and must set the timeline right before it is irrevocably altered.