When the Sky Falls (2015) User Reviews

A Canadian dog

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 2 March 2016]

I had no idea that DEADLY VOLTAGE was a brand new movie when I watched it on TV yesterday. You don't expect to see a film showing on TV in January in the year of its release, but maybe that gives you some idea of just how poor this one is. I fully expected it to have been released around 2002 or 2003, given how tired, dated, and cheap-looking it all is.

Basically, the plot is about a typical family who go on a hiking expedition to do some bonding. You know the types: the females are always fighting and bitchy, the husband is a bore, the kids are irritating. They get caught up in a lightning storm, and that's all that happens. The special effects scenes are few and far between, and very poorly done. There's barely any action or incident, just dull emoting by the characters, and overall the whole thing of a mess. I don't mind disaster movies being cheesy a la The Asylum's output, but I can never forgive them for being dull.

A disaster movie severely hampered by unfortunate coincidences in the plot

[crossrad · 2/10 · 21 January 2016]

The plot concerns a family going hiking when there is a danger about, and forgetting to take their phones with them so they can't be warned. In this case the danger is a particularly vicious form of lightning, but the plot would work just as well if the danger was an escaped convict, paedophile, poisonous spider, chemical leak, earthquake or nuclear attack. I suspect that the lightning strikes attracted the filmmakers because of the ease of portraying them with special effects. A meteorologist predicts the lightning, but an unnecessary coincidence is introduced into the plot, in that the meteorologist and the father leading his family into the danger are one and the same. It is therefore unconvincing that he didn't make much use of his skills and specialised knowledge to recognise or respond to the storm conditions. And surely a meteorologist would check the forecast before heading out!

The film concentrated on the human dynamics arising from the recent marital breakup within the family, and how the relationships between the father's former and new partner develop as a result of them confronting adversity. This is an intriguing storyline, but it is rather undermined by the coincidence of his being the meteorologist.

This movie lacks sufficient spectacle to be an action movie. There are many shots of grey skies, housing estates, countryside, modern office buildings and cars being driven around in a safe manner which though laudable, does not contribute to an air of suspense. The preamble where the meteorologist presents his predictions to his boss and is rebuffed creates little drama as he does not suffer for long, but quickly decides to put rejection to good use and go on vacation. And he doesn't really gain the sympathies of the viewer as his office conditions appear to be very plush and uncluttered, suggesting no one in the organisation is putting too much effort or concern into their research.

While watching the movie the scientific basis for the super- lightning seemed unconvincing, but I was surprised when a brief search on the topic revealed that the "positive lightning" referred to does exist.

Overall, this isn't too exciting a movie, but I didn't see anything in it that would be beyond the scope of amateur movie makers, and shows just what could be done with the most limited of resources.

This movie wasn't even able to produce a spark or a fizzle...

[paul_haakonsen · 2/10 · 2 August 2019]

Right, well the 2016 movie "Deadly Voltage" sadly falls into the same horrible category of laughable, boring, uneventful and horrible CGI and special effects genre that most movies in the natural disaster movies tend to do.

I had a gnawing expectation that "Deadly Voltage" might happen to be one such movie. But I still decided to sit down and watch it on the odd chance that I was actually missing out on a marvelous movie in the natural disaster movie genre. Perhaps I should have checked with IMDb and have seen the movie's rating before I opted to sit down and watch it. But I didn't.

Turns out that writer Renée St. Cyr managed to come up with an idea for a natural disaster movie that involved - and this is where it gets really inventive - a small family that seems to be trailed by the events of the natural disaster. Oh yeah, like we haven't seen that before in just about every other movie in the natural disaster genre. But worse still, director John L'Ecuyer utterly failed to bring the movie to life on the screen in an enjoyable manner.

The storyline in "Deadly Voltage" was so simple that you just had to lean back and ride along, switch off your brain entirely and just enjoy the ride. Well, sadly there wasn't much of a ride here, and even less to enjoy. So don't expect anything grand from writer Renée St. Cyr and director John L'Ecuyer.

The special effects in the movie were passable, sure. But believable or realistic? No. Not even remotely. And a movie in the natural disaster genre needs to have special effects that convince the audience if not outright amaze the audience with its realism. Nothing of that going on in "Deadly Voltage".

The acting in the movie was adequate, taking into consideration the genre and budget of the movie. But keep in mind, the actors and actresses had so very, very little to work with in terms of script, storyline and characters. The characters actually felt like cardboard cutouts milling about like drones, not knowing where to do, what to do, or how to interact. Mike Dopud was actually the most outstanding and memorable of performers in the movie, just a shame that he was held back by the entire movie.

"Deadly Voltage" came and left without as much as leaving a surge or a shock. Pardon the pun. I hadn't heard about this 2016 movie before now in mid-2019 when I stumbled upon it by sheer luck. Oh, and you got to love the cheesy, and blatantly stolen catch phrase on the movie's cover/poster that says "it's electrifying".

"Deadly Voltage" was anything but electrifying. It wasn't even a mild zap across the skin at the top of your fingers.

Deadly voltage - deadly dull

[annie_marks · 1/10 · 9 July 2016]

I have just turned this movie off with five minutes still to go, because I really had had more than enough!

Truly this movie is awful and as the tension is supposed to rise, the glazed boredom just gets more pronounced. I was astonished to find it was made in 2016, the special effects (so few as there were) were awful. There wasn't a single heart-stopping moment and the endless driving around in various cars on completely empty roads was pathetic!

Maybe I should have looked at IMDb before I watched it, I mean it was being shown this morning on Freeview television in England so that gives you some idea of how awful it is. The script is so mind- bogglingly bad, I almost felt sorry for the actors having to speak it - but the actors themselves were generally so dull and disinterested that you felt they knew what a clanger the finished article was going to be.

And I thought film making had improved over the years - not if this is anything to go by!

No one knows what's going on

[nogodnomasters · 1/10 · 13 November 2017]

The original title was "When the Sky Falls." Nothing to see here.

This film follows the standard Asylum formula for disaster films. Create a disaster, divide a family, re-unit the family and only dad can save the world. In this case the disaster is ball lightning taking place in Minnesota, or "northwest of Wisconsin" as they say in the film. The cause is "compromise in the flow of protons from the sun" whatever that is. The family consists of the moody teen, redhead mom, dad's mousey girlfriend, frustrated dad with a bad walking stick, and a son stuck in the 80's.

On the plus side I did learn that the rubber tires are of no use during a lightning storm, but the car acts as a Faraday Cage, diverting lightning away from the occupants providing they are not touching anything metal...and the windows are up.

The film used unconvincing actors with boring dialogue.

Made for TV.

Note to self: During a lightning storm avoid metal junk yards to prevent getting a Darwin Award.

Avoid.

[chrs-38384 · 1/10 · 2 July 2016]

I saw this movie and the title was advertised as "When The Sky Falls", so I was expecting something closer to 2012, Into the Storm, Day After Tomorrow, etc. I think Deadly Voltage is more fitting, but either way this movie did not deliver any scenes depicting natural disaster catastrophe worth mentioning; instead, it seems more of an indie drama flick, given the "tension" (for lack of a better term... "tension" is an over-statement) among the family members.

There are way better natural disaster movies. Although I must admit I'll start tuning out once I hear climate shifts going to cause a natural disaster: it's a premise in the plot that is way overused; Day After Tomorrow kind of tops the list based on the movies I've seen so far; becomes rather unnecessary to watch any other natural disaster movie, especially any that feature poorly executed CGI and effects.

Save your time and watch something else.

1/10

Keep away from hydro lines - and this movie.

[blues-199-723889 · 1/10 · 28 August 2020]

The most irritating soundtrack in the history of motion pictures provides an appropriate backdrop to this feeble offering. Weak story, contrived situations, and amateur special effects combine to create a genuine snoozer. The most suspenseful aspect about it is guessing how long it takes the average viewer to reach for the remote.

this movie will kill you with boredom

[mrogers-88750 · 1/10 · 31 July 2019]

Bad acting from start to finish, i think this movie was made on a budget of £1 and they got change

Half a sta would have been right!

[de-vann · 1/10 · 26 February 2021]

Dire. Best bit was when the two teenager got blown to bits with a direct lightening strike, (but survived of cause, like you do). A lot of time spent looking at blank sky's and trees not the littlest bit stormy. I'm defiantly in the wrong job if folks can get paid to turn out this sort of very boring trash.

Excellent sophorific

[celtigra · 4/10 · 25 February 2021]

Well I watched it - I fell asleep. Not much of a plot, irritating teens, lacklustre characters with no depth. If you are having trouble sleeping put this on and you will drift off into slumberland pronto.

It did not suck :)

[asage19 · 6/10 · 10 February 2022]

I watched it because Mimi Kuzyk, Mike Dopud and Krista Bridges were in it. Solid Canadian actors. Mimi Kuzyk was fantastic, as always.

The kids were not horrible. In fact, the teenaged daughter's behaviour was pretty normal for a teenager. Actually, I liked the dynamic between her and her brother. She was a decent actress, as was the boy who played her brother. It's harder to act subtle roles than high drama.

Ron Lea (as the boss) is always reliable.

It was just a nifty little disaster movie, kept my attention, didn't go on too long.

I suppose people were expecting melodrama, retribution, death of less desirable characters by lightning or stupidity.

It was refreshing that this didn't happen ;> Nice little time-waster. Worth watching.

Not the dog it's being touted as. Hell, lots of people really hate the high-budget Hollywood disaster movies. Some people can't be pleased.

HORRIBLE & LUDICROUS!

[wlevyiii · 1/10 · 24 May 2021]

How ANYONE rated this movie more than 3 stars is ridiculous! Worst acting. A bunch of staring at the sky, sulking, worried looks, ENDLESS driving around in a town as bout as big as a postage stamp, and extremely wooden performances. I was HOPING the cast would get killed! It's that bad!

Lame story, lame relationships, JUST LAME!

Avoid it 😳

Can this movie be more stupid?

[bmss-55649 · 1/10 · 14 December 2019]

This is a movie with a bunch of people with no common sense. This movie will leave you thinking, how stupid can you be?

Horrible.

[fabianrene33 · 1/10 · 8 August 2021]

You spend the whole time talking to the tv ask Are you really that stupid? Horrible acting.

What????

[Sexyjay71 · 1/10 · 11 June 2020]

This movie makes no sense at all. I don't read reviews because many individuals say a movie isn't good and it really is a great movies out there and it's ok that everyone doesn't like the same thing.. So, I am all about being my own critic and very rarely do I give bad reviews, but this movie sucks. Ended up watching my recorded show Matlock which is way more interesting than this movie

Only watch this Movie if your life depends on it

[moonlightshadow393 · 1/10 · 8 January 2021]

Only watch this Movie if your life depends on it. Watch it, and it may!.. I was loosing the will to live after 15 minutes so decided to help my wife make the bed, she only lasted 10 minutes. Enough time wasted on this garbage, but hope writing this long -long review may save others!..

Sigh

[cujorocky · 1/10 · 24 August 2021]

Yet another awful movie. Heavy clouds and Lighting everywhere, yet sunshine is coming in the windows everytime. Same as outdoors, they show the sky, it's all Grey and lightning non stop, then it shows people at ground level and it's pure sunshine, no lightning.... OMG!!! Absolute incompetence in directing. Avoid this garbage.

Questions, so many questions.

[krs-92202 · 4/10 · 18 August 2021]

Why didn't they just back the truck up instead of getting out? Why is there so much scrap metal in a country town? Why were there only a few small monitors in a NATIONAL Weather Institute? Where did he get those two buckets of fluid and a electronic box with poles? Why did the boy have his leg over the metal that was crushing his arm? Why did that metal look like flimsy sheetrock? And finally, WHY DID I WATCH THIS? I was looking for a deliciously bad disaster film and I almost got it.

If You Don't Think Too Hard It's Not Terrible

[icocleric · 3/10 · 17 March 2022]

Honestly I was expecting this film to be worse than it was, it's not a great film by any means, but I feel as though they try. The acting is decent enough, but the script writing is not great. There's some little nice touches, so the film is watchable if you don't think too hard about things.

The film does just kind of end, and that was disappointing. And I feel it wastes time in other areas when something more interesting could happen in its place.