Meteor
An American scientist and his Soviet counterpart must overcome Cold War distrust before a comet-struck asteroid fragment devastates Earth.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- foreboding
- propulsive
- heightened
- retro disaster movie night
- 1970s sci fi marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a weak, dialogue-heavy disaster spectacle with inadequate effects and thin character development.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The United States and the Soviet Union must combine their illegal nuclear satellites to stop the approaching Orpheus fragment.
The collision course of an eight-kilometer asteroid fragment drives NASA, military, and diplomatic decisions throughout the story.
The film depicts meteor impacts and related calamities including an avalanche and flooding, while emphasizing effects-driven set pieces.
The central solution depends on illegal nuclear weapon satellites operated separately by the United States and USSR.
Films like Meteor, and why
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
shared disaster-film spectacle, scientific crisis, international cooperation, and escalating global peril
Armageddon
shared space-based catastrophe, cold war anxieties, government response, and large-scale destruction
The Core
shared ensemble disaster structure, apocalyptic threat, scientific problem-solving, and emergency spectacle
Movie Details
- Director
- Ronald Neame
- Release Date
- 1979-10-19
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 5.2 / 10 (182)
Cast
- Sean Connery
- Natalie Wood
- Karl Malden
- Brian Keith
- Martin Landau
- Trevor Howard
- Richard Dysart
- Henry Fonda
- Joseph Campanella
- Bo Brundin
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Meteor about?
- An American scientist and his Soviet counterpart must overcome Cold War distrust before a comet-struck asteroid fragment devastates Earth.
- What is Meteor like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Meteor as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Meteor violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Meteor as moderate.
- What did critics think of Meteor?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a weak, dialogue-heavy disaster spectacle with inadequate effects and thin character development.
- Which films are like Meteor?
- Films with a similar feel include The Day the Earth Caught Fire, Armageddon, and The Core.
- How long is Meteor?
- Meteor runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch Meteor?
- In United States, Meteor is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
