Or as I’d like to call the film – let’s have a family drama with a webcam! Cue one of the more hammiest disaster movies milked for TV moviedom…
Released: 2003
Runtime: 1h 35 mins
The Premise
Lightning becomes positively charged and starts to develop huge storms to bring on a new ice age of course!
The Disasters Faced
Lightning, wind, loss of connection on a skype call and being witness to some of the worst 2 second long CGI shots ever.
The Execution
This film aims itself firmly at the Sunday afternoon family audience. Everything here feels too warm, soft, glowing and fuzzy. Although the world is ending, we see so little of it and the film focuses on a “she’s not my mother!” plot which while is mildly entertaining, is not what I tuned in for. The script isn’t too bad in handling this but when you’ve little to keep you going on the disaster front it feels very much like an empty film that never comes together. For what it’s worth, the actors all do their best with what they’ve got although the faint of air of Disney around the whole warmth of the film makes you auto-assume everyone will be fine and feel like it’s been the best day of their lives even if the world did end because hey – they family is now functional again!
The Effects
Effects are used sparingly and thank God for that. We’re treated to static CGI models being given flames from what looks like a flash game. The only decent effect is an EMP ripple. Woo.
Why It’s Worth Watching
For family drama, it’s passable and the acting isn’t too bad. Quite why one family member is blatantly European amongst an entire cast of American’s I have no idea. Much of science is glossed over too so you’re not given a chance to dwell on that side either.
Drinking Game
Take a shot every time someone has a conversation on webcam. I thought we were watching a Skype documentary and this film is one of the worst offenders of us watching a movie of people looking at screens. Shame really.
Best Death
There’s only one and he dies being electrocuted by touching a fire door. Even then he just shakes a little. How very PG. #DisneyDeath
Favourite Character
I’ll go for Ken Tremblett for playing a nice father who seems stuck with two argumentative family members. He seems so nice and warm, he could have bashed their heads together at the end and I have cheered him on!
Weirdest Moment
“Please tell me there’s no lightning in Cyber Space?” Pardon?!
Random Trivia
If you like your low budget franchises that didn’t quite really feel like a franchise, this is the second of a set that kicked off with Lightning: Fire in the Sky. Not sure if a third one will ever be made!
Conclusion
As I’m sure you can tell, Lightning Bolts of Destruction left me cold. It’s not so much the production, the acting or the awful effects – it’s the non-direction of it all. It’s 100 minutes of watching people talk on their webcam with little reward and incentive to keep watching. Dull.
I Love Disaster Movies! 
I tuned out early on, when Pacula started warning everyone with her little device that predict lightning strikes with pinpoint accuracy.
Thanks for the making me your “favourite character” in the movie. The director (Brenton Spencer) was great and did as much he could with what we had – we all did. Still had a few laughs along the way, though. 🙂
You’re very welcome! Very much enjoyed your work and effort in it! I think it’s clear everyone enjoyed themselves on set through the film too 🙂