Earthquake in New York (1998 TV Movie) User Reviews

Don't lose your time!

[gazineo-1 · 3/10 · 27 August 2001]

Boring disaster movie - in fact, completely out of time - about an earthquake in New York and the problems and perils which a group of people suffer in the process. A lame screenplay, full of cardboard performances and ridiculous special effects. Only Cinthia Gibb is a delight to see.

I give this a 3 (three) only because Cinthia is here but don't lose your time with this one. If you're an earthquake addict, see "Earthquake" instead. This last one is not a great movie too but compared to this one seems a Orson Wells autentic jewel.

Not bad, but not good.

[HorrorDisasterGuy-90617 · 4/10 · 30 March 2024]

While it's not the worst disaster movie I seen, but it still not good. There barely any story in this other people trying to survive a earthquake and saving people. The opening is something that I didn't see coming over what happen, but the whole topic about losing someone due to a disaster feels like a afterthought and isn't expand on that much. Also, some of the plotlines feels like it was forgotten like the serial killer plotline doesn't go anywhere interesting and ends very quickly. Even the Statue of Library disaster is barely in the movie and is forgotten about until near the end of the movie. The characters themselves are rather boring and bland throughout the movie. And the acting itself is pretty stale.

The disaster scenes are mostly ok with decent tension during it and some alright disaster set pieces. But the CGI looks pretty bad and is something from a PlayStation 2 game.

Overall, it's a mediocre disaster movie that is poorly put together.

Do you want to know the truth about this film?

[smithalexj · 11 April 2002]

OH. MY. GOD. If you've seen... Twister, perhaps, you'll know it's got a decent reputation and has some mean special FX. Not much of a plot, but in these films it don't really matter. URGGHHHHHH! This film was one of the worst I have EVER seen in my LIFE! The Special FX were like the ones of a computer game, they didn't even look real (The statue of liberty was the graphics quality of the first tomb raider.)! The dialogue was the worst EVER, especially since the only thing anybody can say in the film is "Oh my god...". The main guy is macho deepvoice dumbass, a crap performance. He dodges a serial killer with dumbass style (doesn't have a brain but the muscles make up for it.) Slick hair, nothing under it. The performances, actually, are genuinly terrible, the kid can say "It's OK Mommy" but nothing else. At one point, a fireman can't see through a windscreen but he still smashes through a side window, not caring if someone's there. The main kid (about 16) should really visit drama school, they are the CHEESIEST lines ever. As smelly as Stilton. Everybody in the film should visit drama school.

END: This film SUCKS and deserves 1 star. Somebody should really teach the cast how to act, and the plot is a real bummer. PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU, DON'T SEE THIS FILM. AVOID.

Awful Movie

[jlealg · 1/10 · 20 May 2003]

I bought this movie because I expected good special effects. It looks like they had a very small budget for this one. Terrible special effects, to simulate an Earthquake the only move the camera, bad actors.

This movie is not worth it, even if you see it on TV.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!!!

[fishbulbIV · 1/10 · 24 October 2002]

*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***

Did the Family Family Channel ever hear of the word 'C.G.I. (Let alone I.L.M.)' while they were making this (ahem) movie? WHAT A JOKE!!!!! Special effects were pathetic, the (so called) villain's death scene was pretty ridiculous & characters screamed "Oh My God" every other minute. I guarantee you while they were making this (ahem) movie, the director shouted "OK, LETS SHAKE THE CAMERA FOR ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES!" every time another earthquake came along. Just because this (ahem) movie came out during the Fox Family channel's first year of being on the air, doesn't mean that they can't make better special effects! The only scene in this movie that might be worth watching is the part were the Empire State Building meets its end. That's about it.

Grade: D -

BAD

[clyde9315 · 1/10 · 18 June 2002]

This is a movie that should not have been maid. They must have had to use the actors in something so they came up with this turkey. Bad acting for most leads. supporting cast was better. Effects, SOUND STAGE PLEASE! Let's stick a fork in these. We've had enough of these, Night of The Twister & Atomic Twister and this old one in the trash please. You know other than the program being bad, the commericals were very good!

it is a good film

[kimberleebrennan · 6/10 · 26 November 2006]

There are many great disaster films these days, most recent would have been Day After Tomorrow but this film i had to admit, is amazing. I like disaster films too, especially Twister, Volcano and said film mentioned. Although our ending is a bit soppy with our family reunited after being trapped round the city in different aspects of New York day by day life, yet they walk away from the disaster with a better outlook of life, despite the fact the earthquake is still in great effect, everywhere being covered in glass, buildings and such. but other than that, a very thought out film, I'm gutted myself it is not out on DVD or on TV again, the good films always get the short end of the stick.

Irregular movie with a great actress

[radiador · 9/10 · 25 February 2000]

Earthquake in New York is an irregular film with a poor special effects but this film is salved by the presence of Melissa Sue Anderson, she is a great actress and she is perfect like Marilyn Blake. The movie had been better if Melissa had been the star. The TV-series, "Aftershock: Earthquake in New York" is better although Melissa don' t appear.

Awful!

[genedurham · 12 November 2000]

This is an awful movie. Avoid at all costs. The effects are terrible, plot is unoriginal, and acting isn't all that great. All in all terrible movie. You really shouldn't waste your time on this poor excuse for an action film. While watching I kept thinking how stupid the movie was and how fake the effects were. The silly poor effects distract you from the silly poor storyline. You can't help but think what a stupid movie this is.

Very good movie

[nhammar · 10/10 · 19 February 2005]

I sure liked the Movie Earth Quake Earth Quake in New york And I kindly should like too see it again because I'm A New York Disaster movie Fan but what upsets me is that no one likes New york Disaster films but me. And Again I wish I could see it again on T.V Or DVD Or VHS so I Can watch it over and over again. But the Movie Was Great and fantastic too see and again I wish that any one where I live in Grand Junction would like New York Disaster Films. But they don't except me Because I Liked the Person who made this Great Fantastic Film and again I'm A New York Disaster Movie Fan

Thank you and take Special care Always JOJI Hammar

Special FX = Excellent Movie

[b1uduk · 9/10 · 29 January 2005]

This movie really made me weep. Near the end of the movie, when the wife and the child were trapped underground and they sang the national anthem, I couldn't keep in the tears. It was so heartwarming that Laura Rykker cared that much for Carla Rykker and the country. It was almost better then the great cinema classic Volcano or even Dante's Peak. Everyone should see this movie because it empowers the American people. When the bad man got electrocuted, it was well deserved and I didn't see it coming. And I'd just like to quote Captain Paul Stenning at the end of the movie, "Everyone is a hero today." Yes I agree, we are all heroes today.

Wow...

[stevehosford1970 · 23 December 2000]

Just finished watching this mercilessly horrid waste of time.

Movie summary: an hour of bad acting, an earthquake, a second hour of bad acting while walking in circles around the same pile of rubble.

Michael Moriarty clearly wanted to be somewhere--ANYWHERE--but on the set of this "movie." Either that or he was preoccupied with the most unremarkable, tepid, and mundane sentences any actor could be unfortunate enough to deliver. The poor guy couldn't even manage to take his hands out of his pockets, he was so bored.

The Statue of Liberty scenes are excruciating. I've seen better CG on Half-Life. I kept rooting for that whole mess of snotty teenagers to fall to their deaths. Dig that dude asking the girl out on a date WHILE TRYING TO AVOID DYING IN AN EARTHQUAKE! Yeah, RIGHT.

And how about the shameless plugs for mindless patriotism? That wistful, admiring gaze up at the replica of the torch inside the base of the Statue of Liberty, and mommy singing "The Star Spangled Banner" to her little girl who's trapped under a pile of rubble (unscathed, mind you...just trapped.) And by the way, someone explain to me HOW IN GOD'S NAME the doll which she had just been holding ended up ON TOP of the pile of rubble beneath which the kid was now trapped?

Seal this one up in a barrel marked HAZARDOUS and drop it in the same landfill with ASTEROID and TORNADO.

Love this Movie

[gomezthomas · 8/10 · 3 January 2018]

I love this movie its New York whats not to love. Does anyone know where i can purchase hits movie please

It shouldn't have been rated TV-PG

[LuciaMedea · 10/10 · 22 February 2000]

If you've seen movies like "Volcano" and "Twister", this is like it. It's about Mother Nature's least expected. Who would expect an earthquake in New York? The special effects were great, and the actors, especially Cynthia Gibb, did a wonderful job. It really should've been rated TV-14 because of its special effects. But I have to say that the plot was excellent.

Kay

[klennett · 10/10 · 22 February 2019]

I loved this movie so much. I'm trying to find a copy of it. Does anyone know where I can get one.

Kay

[klennett · 10/10 · 22 February 2019]

I loved this movie and the actors. I especially liked Cynthia Gibb and Melissa Sue Anderson.

Really good movie

[geeked-out-4-movies · 10 March 2023]

I had finally watched this movie after seeing a commercial for it way back in 1998 and have waited this long to see it, I am happy i finally I saw it, as it's really good and has good acting in it. The story is about a family in California and they have a earthquake and their one son dies and the mom has bad memories of it, they move to New York four years later and have another earthquake and have to find a way to survive it. The special effects and earthquake scenes were good too. This is movie is only limited available on DVD in other countries but you can find it easily. I enjoyed it. The acting was good too.

7 / 10 stars.