Maximum Velocity is your basic mid-budget disaster movie. The characters are superficially likable but undeveloped, the plot is predictable, and the disaster itself unlikely in the extreme. It is comprised of a potpourri of major cultural concerns: collision with an asteroid, global warming, superstorms, and the venality and hubris of the government, in this case represented by the character of Air Force General Anderson (played by B-movie veteran Michael Ironside). The plot attempts to exploit the tensions between the protagonist, Dr Briggs (Dale Midkiff) and Anderson, and the tension inherent in a small group of people in a tin can battling a superstorm for the fate of the planet, but neither attempt succeeds. I am powerfully reminded of the "climax" of the earthquake movie 10.5, when the seismologists read off the increasing power of the quake as though there is any doubt in our minds that the earthquake will in fact reach 10.5.
If you are a fan of disaster movies, in particular the lower-quality exemplars of the genre, this movie is a don't-miss solely in the interests of completeness. If, however, you'd like to see a good plot, dynamic characterization, or some semblance of feasibility, you should probably skip it. It is so far from being memorable that as I watch some of the details are fading. However, I am watching it, so if you're an undemanding disasterophile like me, watch it if you catch it on cable.
If you are a fan of disaster movies, in particular the lower-quality exemplars of the genre, this movie is a don't-miss solely in the interests of completeness. If, however, you'd like to see a good plot, dynamic characterization, or some semblance of feasibility, you should probably skip it. It is so far from being memorable that as I watch some of the details are fading. However, I am watching it, so if you're an undemanding disasterophile like me, watch it if you catch it on cable.