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Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, and William Holden lead the all-star ensemble in producer Irwin Allen’s final theatrically-released disaster movie, signaling the end of a film phenomenon that started ten years earlier with tragedy-adventures like Airport and The Poseidon Adventure. This time the disaster is centered around an erupting volcano on an island in the South Pacific. Once the mountain blows, the island’s inhabitants have more than just lava to contend with — they must survive earthquakes, flaming meteors, and a tsunami. When Time Ran Out may actually have the biggest variety of disaster scenarios of any movie in its sub-genre. And it’s also got a top-tier cast to match, including Ernest Borgnine, Burgess Meredith, Red Buttons, and Pat Morita. So why does it fail to measure up?
I think it suffers in two fatal ways. First, there are no likable or charismatic characters in the film. Newman, Bisset, Holden and several other characters are all involved in adulterous affairs and are almost always acting petty and jealous. Star power is wasted in this movie. The most empathetic character is Burgess Meredith’s, a senior citizen vacationing with his dying wife one last time. The film short-shrifts this relationship, however, and curiously opts to let the wife die off-camera, robbing the final act of some good old-fashioned melodrama.
Secondly — and speaking of the third act — it sucks. As exciting as the film is after the volcano, meteors, and tsunami happen, the third act — the big escape — is one extremely long scene (I clocked it at twenty minutes) where Newman and all the survivors have to cross a dangerous wooden bridge over lava. There are about ten characters, and director James Goldstone makes us watch every single last one of them crawl — and I mean, craaaaaawl — across this thing. For twenty minutes. I’m sure it’s meant to be suspenseful, but it’s not. It’s tedious. And there’s nothing much on the other side of the bridge except for end credits. When Time Ran Out? More like, When My Patience Ran Out.
With Edward Albert, Barbara Carrera, and Veronica Hamel. Music by Lalo Schifrin.
Oscar Nomination: Best Costume Design