Force of Impact

I see a lot of comments about the different versions of this movie, but nobody seems to mention the thing that most concerned me about this tolerable disaster film (nearly all these stories about giant asteroids menacing the earth have the same plot, more or less, but I tuned in anyway to see Rae Dawn Chong as the heroic scientist). Watching Michael Moriarty in his role as the general was distracting because he seemed to be having problems playing his part that had nothing to do with the script or the direction. He was walking with a stick, and in the dialogue scenes he seemed to stare straight ahead and deliver his lines with little or no animation. Was he ill? Had he had a stroke?

Who can tell why this film was made? FORCE OF IMPACT (aka DEADLY SKIES) was apparently made for TV though it seems highly unlikely that it was ever screened. Not that the story itself is a problem: giant asteroid is sailing toward the earth with the potential of destroying the planet unless someone is smart enough to out guess the logistics. In this film the smart one is Rae Dawn Chong in a role she can sleep walk through. The government is not eager for her company to employ its 'better than government issue' strategies: Rob LaBelle and Michael Moriarty have a great time being mean. But it is Rea dawn Chong who remembers a terrific mind in the form of Antonio Sabato, Jr. who can save the planet....

And that is where the difference lies - Chong encounters Sabato and his lover Michael Boisvert en flagrante in a completely nude sex scene that is as sensual as any found in the movies. Nothing much is made of the reason for Sabato to be gay and that is good: he just happens to be a gay man in a healthy relationship, and the chemistry with Boisvert is definitely there. But that is about all we get, other than an opening scene when two beautiful young au naturel women make it in a swimming pool while a mini-asteroid collides in the water.

So it is another routine space age flick, but add to the salad the eye candy offered, and it is almost worth sitting through the movie! Pretty people help keep this one afloat.

This could have been a good movie, but the acting is terrible!

This film has been released in three different countries under three different titles,and each version is slight different. In the United Kingdom,the film was released on DVD with this title,Ultimate Limit. In Canada this film was released on DVD with this title,Force of impact. In the US this film was released under the title,Deadly skies. The US version has the main hero portray as a gay man. The UK and Canadian version have these scenes edited,yet the UK version is slightly different than the Canadian version. This film,made for cable TV was not that bad. I have seen both the UK and Canadian versions. I have not seen the US version.

Michael Moiarity at his worst Very typical, nothing new.