I love disaster movies where people overcome the odds but here, to my dismay they were just stupid. I know its the script they are following but again (spoiler to come) i cringed when they locked themselves in an airtight basement, didn't check that the carbon dioxide remover machine worked first before falling fast asleep. Then when one of them woke up gasping (well little coughs) for breath, did she open the door to allow air in, which she clearly had the time and energy to do this because she spent time trying to wake the others up, then the old man says someot like we've gotta get out of here, so does she open the door? No. She tries wakes the other up then when she cant she falls asleep. She had plenty of time to open the door. Stupid script & effects.

This is one of the worst movies I have ever watched. I have seen almost every disaster movie created. From SyFy TV movies, to major blockbusters, to everything from the Asylum, I really don't think any of them are as bad as this. I only watched it because I like Ian Ziering. But it just wasn't worth wasting 2 hours of my life. The plot was horrible. It made no sense. Lava every where, apparently all over the world, but no explanation as to why. The acting is horrible, some of the worst ever. The graphics are equally bad. I have to wonder who wrote this and why. The flashback scenes were not only horribly done but unnecessary. The whole movie just made no sense. That's all I can really say about it. It made no sense! Don't waste your time. It's not even worth a watch to laugh at. Luckily Ian Ziering is doing better now. And yes shark movies are better than this abomination.

This is poor, even by the standards of a typical Asylum or SyFy Channel disaster flick. The problem with LAVA STORM isn't with the nonsensical storyline or the bad acting - hell, we expect both of those, some of us EMBRACE them - but it's with the almost entire lack of incident. A lava storm threatens to engulf a US city, and it's up to a dedicated team of scientists and researchers to stop it. Aside from a ridiculous climactic 'blow up the dam' set-piece, nothing happens here.A bunch of characters end up getting trapped underground so have to navigate subterranean passages for what seems like hours on end. The po-faced protagonist must race to stop things above ground, but his journey is so dull that the film-makers are forced to insert lots of stock footage of lava into their movie to try to make it interesting. There are the requisite CGI shots as well and yes, they're very poor.It's hard to believe that SHARKNADO was a step up for actor Ian Ziering but after seeing his efforts in this mess that's the honest truth. There are no other familiar faces, and why an annoying teenage daughter was added to the character list I don't know; it just makes LAVA STORM all the worse. Dull, dull, dull, and one to avoid even for FANS of this genre.

Lava Storm uses the lava storm as a metaphor for a family on a brink of destruction. The insightful dialog references the underlining problem well. The disaster makes the family members regain the trust and care for each other. Great application of HD cinematography. The accomplished depth of field, contrast and application of multiple shades of warm colors indicate mastership on the cinematographer's side.Cute and compelling cast. Ian and Valerie make a seductive couple. The locations and visual effects work well to depict the disaster. The visuals are nothing short of ones seen in big blockbuster movies depicting similar situations. It's great to see how much can be done on a 100 times lesser budget. If you are into the genre but also appreciate good plot, I recommend this movie.