Seattle Superstorm (2012 TV Movie) User Reviews (19)

A disaster of epic proportions? Hmmm...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 16 June 2012]

Another epic disaster threatening the very existence of mankind? Haven't these scenarios soon been done enough? There are so many movies of this genre out there, and most of them, oddly enough, are quite bad and filled with lousy effects. Now, "Seattle Superstorm" was pretty much the same as most others of its genre, though it had slightly better effects.

The story is about Tom (played by Esai Morales) and Wyatt (played by Jared Abrahamson) who have come together with Emma (played by Ona Grauer) and Chloe (played by MacKenzie Porter), but of course the two teenagers doesn't get along well and have problems coping with their parents coming together. But wait, it gets better, the USA army shoots down something unexplained over the skies of Seattle, and that triggers a cataclysmic event that spawns an ever-growing super storm that threatens all of Seattle, but then also all of USA and finally all of the world.

And guess who is going to stop this super storm? Yep, that is right, the four family members, because apparently the government, the army, the fire department, the police department, even the common folks of Seattle have no interest in trying to stop this cataclysm. So it is up to the family of four! Yeah, that was just oh-so-believable, but also oh-so-stereotypical for movies in this genre. And by saying that of course they do stop it, I haven't revealed anything that you didn't already knew would happen. But come on, I mean, such a thing happening as to four people stopping Mother Nature's fury and saving all of the world, it is just such a ludicrous plot.

The effects in "Seattle Superstorm" were actually alright. There were a couple of scenes that were questionable, but in overall, I found the storm effects to actually be alright. And I was laughing so hard when a bolt of lightning singled out the 'villain' of the story, that was just too much.

The DVD cover said "A Disaster of Epic Proportions", so I was sort of thinking that they actually advertised that this movie was going to suck big time. But fortunately, "Seattle Superstorm" actually surprised me as it was slightly better than most other storm movies in the low-budget scale of movies.

"Seattle Superstorm" is adequate entertainment if you have nothing better planned or got nothing better to watch. It is the type of movie where you already know the ending even before you start the movie. So unhook your brain and just sit back on a stormy ride...

Would anyone truly miss Seattle anyway?

[movieman_kev · 2/10 · 7 May 2012]

Tom moves to Seattle to be closer to his fiancé, Emma, both of them are on their second marriage so their respective idiot offspring, the daft Wyatt and Eco idiot Chloe, are both moving in together, then a huge series of natural disasters start via a very unnatural source when the military shoots down a UFO and it crashes into the sea.

As if the usual Syfy film detriments of awful special effects and equally appalling acting wasn't enough, this one added whiny bickering, cardboard clichéd annoying characters and a generally daft script to the mix. Before too long I found myself actively rooting for the Superstorm to off them all and end the film (along with my misery)

A wince-inducing Sci-Fi Channel effort

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 26 April 2015]

This is your typical Sci-Fi Channel disaster flick except it's even worse than the average for this unfortunate sub-genre. It offers a family-focused narrative which sees a scientist and his extended relations getting to grips with some kind of supernatural storm which envelops Seattle after the army shoots down a UFO. Unfortunately this outer space menace has the power to cause tornadoes and earthquakes and the like so the humans have their work cut out to combat it.

Sadly it's a complete mess of a film, full of insipid dialogue, lame characters you instantly hate, and special effects that are bad even by Sci-Fi Channel standards. The characters are dull beyond belief even with various familiar actors playing the roles. Headlining this thing is LA BAMBA's Esai Morales, but he's the most famous the film can offer.

The ludicrous aspect of having high school students figuring out ways to combat the threat when experienced scientists and top academics are unable to do so is particularly noticeable here, and a handful of not-bad disaster sequences fail to lift this one from the mess in which it's mired.

Like watching a train wreck...

[TheLittleSongbird · 1/10 · 18 April 2012]

As I've said many times before, I have made no secret of disliking a vast majority of SyFy's output. A couple are tolerable without ever being great, but a lot of them are either lame or bottom-of-the-barrel. As bad as they are, there's something about their awfulness that not only is compulsive but at times can amuse me. From reading the premise, which is the sort of nothing-new, silly sort of premise, I wasn't expecting much, but Seattle Superstorm actually was worse than I expected. It, even for a low budget TV movie, is a poorly made movie, with editing so slapdash it made my head hurt and special effects that are among the most cheap-looking and cheesily used of any effects in a SyFy movie since Titanic II. The dialogue is incredibly insipid, especially about when they are talking about who is going into the tank to release the water, and the story is dull and predictable with the positioning of the manual valve in a position where anybody about to open it would die was beyond stupid. I got a good laugh with the lightning obliteration scene, but that was it. The characters are among SyFy's most irritating and stereotypical, and the acting is very poor, Esai Morales is okay, but everybody else is just bad especially the 16 year old girl who not just once but twice comes up with a save the world solution and the grandfather who acts like he is in a different film altogether.

All in all, SyFy have done worse than Seattle Superstorm, but it is still a train wreck. 1/10 Bethany Cox

Z-grade movie

[paula1980 · 1/10 · 1 July 2012]

...What was I thinking when I started watching this joke of a film :(

This was a relatively long movie and made it feel 10x longer by terrible script and extremely poor acting. Except for one mediocre actor in the movie, the acting was so awful that it 'felt like' the mediocre character ended up sacrificing his life as he was unable to tolerate the tiresome dribble from every other character near the end of the movie.

The only good thing I liked about the movie was at least they tried giving a happy-ending and not abrupt like many of the movies made nowadays.

More government overreach!

[swicinski · 2/10 · 27 July 2013]

This movie just shows you what's wrong with the US government! Did you realize that the regional director of the Disaster Management Agency has the authority to order a massive military assault on a US city, showering the city with missiles until it is just a memory? I didn't either, until I saw this movie! In fact, the president couldn't even order this man to stand down, he had to give orders to some air force officer who tries to stop him! (Luckily for everyone involved he was not able to commit his plan due to a lucky lightening strike).

But don't think for a moment that the stars are out to save the people of Seattle, either. They're just as dastardly, but more subtle. As the superstorm is barreling down onto Seattle, and is just moving into position, the air force officer decides it's time to evacuate the city! Yes, wait until the storm is right on top of you, then put everyone in the streets! Haha, she really didn't like the people of Seattle. I think she must not like the coffee.

We could go onto silly things, like how a Russian scientist can get past several layers of military security, but the ex-NASA guy was being frisked down, even with his ID. Or the DMA guys were at the docks to watch the object crash (do they work there?). Or that the scientists immediately were worried about what the mysterious substance could do to the weather patterns, as opposed to things such as whether it was poisonous or an environmental issue.

But that's our government! Always worried about climate first! And nuking our own cities!

Ridiculous storyline

[gurubesar · 2/10 · 1 July 2012]

We know that the Hollywood movies are produced by a certain recipe which the director of most movies gets when he joined the school somewhere in the US. When they make a certain catastrophic cinema there is a certain recipe that they better follow in order to produce "good result".

Somewhere in the beginning of the story you will see a pair of teenagers arguing about who know what in earnest and the parents doesn't seem to care and then something is flying into the US airspace. I have no idea how the airspace monitoring works, but apparently there is a single station in the middle of nowhere manned by only a single watchman who love porn.

Whatever the thing that shoot into US territory, it was partially destroyed by a missile. When you see the title, you would have expect something of the natural things which cause havoc in Seattle, but of course the this time it is not of nature so that there is a leeway to kill the Superstorm....

If you want to show a disaster in a big city of the size like Seattle, it would be logical to show the activities of the people in the city, but apparently the director forgot about it. You will see some high rise building which looks like an architect dummy models several time. To show the threat of super-storm, a little of FX animation of dark cloud. A very poor presentation of big city facing a major natural disaster.

Again, I do not how good the science project in high-school in the US, but to have some kid beats up a whole group of scientists trying to solve the problem is a bit too much. What are they trying to show ? A brilliant high-school girl or a stupid bunch of American scientists ?

The acting is alright, they behave rather well, except the father who seems a bit of out touch with the scene. Does it make any sense to anybody that a mother is worried about her teenage daughter's ability to reach home on her own ? Specially when she has a strong will daughter ? It just does not compute....

If you have some time to waste..., The Day After Tomorrow will give you a better value for your time.

Why is it always the USA ?

[rjaddou · 1/10 · 25 July 2019]

Whether it is werewolves, vampires, meteors, earthquakes, zombies or even North Korean soldiers ... it never happens in say India or Tanganyika, or Spain, but always around Hollywood or close nearby !! Maybe it cheaper that way for the actors and crew ?

This TV movie (with so-so actors) is sad to say a waste of time, whether from the thespian , narrative or special effects points of view. But ... they still manage to churn out similar garbage by the dozen every year, I suppose it pays the mortgage ! My only surprise is that the actors kept a straight face throughout their parts on this one !!

Stormy Weather

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 20 July 2013]

During the opening credits, really bad weather wrecks havoc in Seattle, Washington. This turns out to be footage from later in the film. "Nine hours earlier," an alert arctic outpost notices an "unidentified aerial phenomenon" in the Pacific Ocean. This very wicked storm's destination is Seattle. Folks at the "Disaster Management Agency" (DMA) can't figure out why this storm is so destructive. They have several theories about its origin. Some think it may be alien. Working at the DMA are space scientist Esai Morales (as Tom) and disaster manager Ona Grauer (as Emma)...

Mr. Morales has just moved to Seattle and is planning to marry Ms. Grauer. She tells him they will have to reconsider because their school-aged children don't get along. Morales' son Jared Abrahamson (as Wyatt) and Grauer's daughter MacKenzie Porter (as Chloe) instantly dislike each other. This stormy relationship parallels the titular "Seattle Superstorm". It's a typical, predictable TV movie. Events thrust the four characters into situations where they have an opportunity to bond. Meanwhile, the storm is threatening to destroy everyone and everything in range of the cameras.

**** Seattle Superstorm (3/31/12) Jason Bourque ~ Esai Morales, Ona Grauer, Jared Abrahamson, MacKenzie Porter

Disastrous example of its genre...pun intended!

[mcguin71 · 3/10 · 24 April 2015]

There are so many disaster movies out there, both good, bad and mediocre, that it takes some effort to say this falls squarely in to the 'don't bother' category...

As a TV movie Seattle Superstorm doesn't start off well with its rather misleading title - a few dark clouds and a bit of wind does not make a Super-storm. Follow this up with dodgy acting, iffy dialogue, middle of the road effects,and worst of all terrible storyline and writing, and what you have is a disaster movie as a package and not just a genre.

Character wise I didn't mind 'dad/scientist' Tom (Esai Morales) and could tolerate 'mom/Navy Lt' Emma (Ona Grauer) (although a Lt as the highest Military adviser?) however I would happily put their kids up for adoption as both 'gearhead' Wyatt (Jared Abrahamsom) and 'ecochick' Chloe (MacKenzie Porter) are eternally grating in their sinicism and petty battles. Of course two movie teenagers whose parents are due to remarry will rarely be best buddies (unless they are too close!),however this pair should be hidden in a dark seller with boxing gloves to sort out their differences.

So what about the story? Well I for one am glad the US military will happily shoot down UFOs with apparently knowing nothing more than it was plotted by a bored tech operator in the standard 'Artic station'. And aren't we glad that the debris lands within yards of the nations disaster management officials...who just happen to be in Seattle(or Vancouver!?!..a dodgy CGI needle does not make a city!).

The result is an increasingly dangerous superstorm that threatens to destroy the world in 4 weeks which gives the perfect excuse for dodgy science to win the day - but not before the requisite near death experiences of the primary characters.

And this is what annoys me the most. In the mighty USA, so often gloating of their superiority in overcoming all threats its the same four dysfunctional family members who provide much of the knowledge and impetus in saving the world, not because its a TV movie and so you need a cheap and cheerful set of heros but seemingly because the government officials are ruled by a jerk, the armed forces are nonexistent after the initial actions, the emergency departments are awol, and even the local Seattle folks are busy just hiding in a dark corner.

I seem to have fallen asleep during the explanation of the 'alien' artifacts so no spoilers other than saying what a surprise that the Russian chief scientist just happens to wander in to the exact same Seattle Lab that the protagonists are working in at the perfect moment to give detail background to the effects and the results. Maybe the security also fell asleep...?

Overall I was pleasantly surprised - not by the movie as it was pants,but that I made it through to the end considering it wasn't even 'so bad its good' because it's really not.

I've seen worse effects, and not all the acting was terrible...and that's about it for good points. The rest of the points were negatives and the score reflects it...

3/10...avoid

Extraordinary Science Fiction and More

[dianerpessler-46164 · 10/10 · 18 July 2015]

When a UFO is shot down by the U.S., Seattle suffers the devastating consequences in this exciting science fiction film from gifted director Jason Bourque. The script, by David Rae and Jeff Renfroe, not only provides an intelligent sci-fi story for Bourque to work with, it emphasizes character development and the nature of human relationships during times of crisis. The performances are superb and we find ourselves caring deeply for these people as they fight for their own survival and for that of those they love. Esai Morales is a particular standout in his inspired role and gives one of does some of his finest work in years. Spectacular special effects are never allowed to diminish the humanity of this film and serves to amplify the powerful message of the screenplay. This is not simply about destroying what we don't understand and therefore fear. It's also about the value of the individual and each one's importance to the other. An extraordinary film of other worldly encounters, high crisis, and the essential nature of love.

Seattle Superstorm is a strange storm

[marshalphipps · 4/10 · 18 May 2017]

This is a low budget Sci-Fi flick that surprises, the movie stands out due to its stunt work and special effects that are more polished than expected.

The plot goes as follows, when an unidentified object is shot down by the military and crashes into Puget Sound, it sets off a series of strange weather phenomena: tornadoes and lightning storms that are spreading. A scientist (Esai Morales) and his fiancée (Ona Grauer) has to work together, find answers, and stop the storm before it becomes global.

The movie has moments worth looking into, one example is where a tornado demolishes the Space Needle which should remind you of the beginning of 10.5 if you've seen it, another example is how the scientifically engineered organism that lands in Seattle can cause a runaway greenhouse effect and ultimately a global storm.

There's nothing too special here, just some good old fashion fun, the film is watchable, I'll say that.

C movie

[hmw-25522 · 2/10 · 16 June 2020]

So predictable, c movie at best, wasted hour and a half watching this tripe!

Sleepless In A Seattle Storm !

[adabsiz · 5/10 · 5 April 2022]

Why is it always California or Washington State ? Why don't aliens, space ships, superstorms never land or occur in Namibia or the Gobi desert for example, or even Massachusetts ??

The script writer and producers are so blinkered to have us believe that a woman, a computer and a few minions can save America (and the world !) ?

No one even goes to a toilet or has a meal throughout this fantasy tale except for an old man pointing a Geiger counter in all directions ... What a waste of time and money this painful-to-watch film is , and IMDB hasn't even mentioned whether the six producers got their money back or not !

Another great "D" Movie, on a small budget

[johnmilliken-28137 · 5/10 · 27 December 2018]

Unlike "annie_marks" in her 8 September 2017 review, I love these silly, predictable and (usually very low-budget) disaster movies...!

Anyone who has watched the big budget Pacific Rim, and then its cheap knock-off, Atlantic Rim (both with preposterous plots and IMO, similar levels of acting talent), will understand what I mean.

Having seen about 3 dozen, as each new one comes along, I watch with gleeful anticipation for the next twist on how to deal with yet another "world ending disaster", be it by volcanoes, deadly storms, earthquakes or even sci-fi solar system calamities.

I also know that the forces of good in humankind will always prevail, whether alive or killed-off in the process - all of them great for a bit of "suspended disbelief" entertainment.

On the other hand, if you want wonderful acting and a story-line that will leave your mind fuller and satiated, watch a movie like The unbearable Lightness of Being, or a play on Broadway or London's West End such as Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.

All have their own places in the world of storytelling and drama. All have fans and critics.

NB: This is my first review, for better or for worse.

There is a storm coming like never before in Seattle Superstorm

[rgblakey · 3/10 · 25 August 2013]

Over the years disaster movies have found a fan base like you wouldn't believe. Most of them are a bit cheesy and make little to no sense, but still manage to attract stars as well as fans. The latest Seattle Superstorm stars Esai Morales with a title that pretty much speaks for itself, but is the forecast for disaster worth the time?

Seattle Superstorm follows a NASA scientist and Navy Lieutenant fighting to solve the mystery of strange weather phenomena causing earthquakes, tornados, and lightning storms that's threatening to destroy the entire city. Much like most of these films, this one plays like a Syfy Channel film with all the cheese and ridiculousness as expected. Here though they opted out of going to silly and attempted to keep it somewhat serious and it actually works on some level. The story is simple with a lot of aspects being a bit too convenient but not all that surprising. The effects are the usual low budget effects, but most of them work pretty well. The filmmakers clearly tried to get some tone and sense of urgency to this film that comes across well enough, which is something that is usually lacking in these films. This film deserves credit for really trying to create a good movie, which goes along way despite budget.

Obviously these films are geared towards a specific audience, that loves these low budget cheesy flicks and they are sure to be entertained. There are sure to be those that love it and cannot wait to add it to their collection, but if you don't normally check these kinds of films out you will most likely be disappointed.

Panic strikes Seattle.

[michaelRokeefe · 3/10 · 15 March 2014]

Someone bored and with gullible imagination will spill cold drink in the popcorn and lack jawed enjoy seeing the city of Seattle try to scurry to safety. Well, it came from the sky. An unidentified object is tracked over the state of Washington and lands in Puget Sound. A dark, murky cloud spreads in the water and soon wetsuits rise to the surface without human life to be found. The Seattle sky starts turning black as officials inspect the watery debris. Lt. Commander Emma Peterson(Ona Grauer)is assigned to try to identify the mysterious threat and arrange security for the city. Her fiancé, scientist Tom Reynolds(Esai Morales), is unable to sit still and ignore what is going on, so he sends their two teens(Jared Abrahamson and Mackenzie Porter) home, unknowingly putting them right in the path of the developing superstorm. The city is in chaos and somehow we are to believe this family will figure out together how to stop this drastic calamity before it grows into something that could actually cause world alarm. We see almost 200 scenes of the Space Needle, Seattle's iconic identify and computer generated destruction to the city. The movie is not even filmed in Seattle, but Vancouver. Acting is more like going through the motions and its a shame the talents of Morales and Grauer go wasted. Also in the cast: Michelle Harrison, Jay Brazeau and Martin Cummins.

Here we go again!

[annie_marks · 1/10 · 8 September 2017]

This is SO formulaic... nasty happenings, big storm ... there's the smart woman with the stressed face, the bad guy who snarls all the time and reaches for his gun, the smart-arse kids ... Oh come on, you guys, think up some other scenario PLEASE!

Mind you, of course, it's standard day-time telly and that's when I'm watching it so .... my fault, I guess!

A superstorm of criticism

[zo-74838 · 5/10 · 20 May 2020]

This is an entertaining sci-fi movie with a family in two halves sub-plot. As usual, some of the reviews on here are a bit harsh. The plot is ok. The special effects are ok. The acting is capable. It does rely on a few convenient coincidences to keep it bubbling along - but it warrants a rating in the 4 to 6 area. Try it and see what you think.