Meteor

Meteor is a science fiction disaster film released on 19 October 1979. Directed by Ronald Neame, the movie features an impressive cast including Sean Connery and Natalie Wood.

The plot revolves around scientists grappling with Cold War tensions when an asteroid is found on a collision course with Earth. This premise draws inspiration from a 1967 report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology titled Project Icarus. The screenplay was written by Edmund H. North and Stanley Mann.

In addition to Connery and Wood, the film includes performances by notable actors like Karl Malden, Brian Keith, Martin Landau, and Henry Fonda. Although the film was a commercial failure, it received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Sound.

The story kicks off when the asteroid Orpheus in the Asteroid Belt collides with a comet, sending fragments hurtling toward Earth, including a massive piece that poses a threat of extinction. As political maneuvering unfolds in the United States, smaller fragments begin causing widespread destruction, amplifying the urgency of the situation. To combat the impending disaster, the U.S. reveals its secret nuclear missile platform, Hercules, designed to eliminate threats like Orpheus. However, the arsenal aboard Hercules is insufficient to neutralize the asteroid.

Amidst the chaos, it is discovered that the Soviet Union possesses a similar satellite, Peter the Great, which is armed with nuclear warheads aimed at the U.S. In a bid to collaborate, the president goes public about Hercules and invites the Soviets to join forces. This leads to the arrival of a Soviet scientist, Dr. Alexei Dubov, who teams up with American counterparts to strategize a defense.

As fragments continue to hit the Earth, the two nations coordinate their efforts to intercept the large asteroid. The stakes heighten when a splinter fragment threatens the command center in New York City just as Hercules is about to launch its missiles. With seconds remaining, they manage to launch their missiles, resulting in a climactic explosion that is celebrated as a victory. However, the impact leaves devastation in New York, resulting in casualties at the command center.

The film concludes with a sense of relief as the threat is neutralized, but it also emphasizes the heavy toll the disaster has taken. In the end, the characters share poignant farewells, highlighting the emotional connections forged amid the crisis.

While Meteor aimed high with its ambitious special effects and star-studded cast, it largely missed the mark, receiving criticism for its lackluster execution. Reviewers described it as standard disaster fare, with little character development and poor special effects for the time. On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a rating of just 5% based on 19 reviews, summarizing it as a flimsy film with insufficient action to engage audiences.

The production faced numerous challenges, including changes in the special effects team, financial strain, and a delayed release. A comic book adaptation by Ralph Macchio was published by Marvel Comics, indicating some lasting cultural impact despite the film's shortcomings.