Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds

Directed by Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer, Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds explores the impact, literally and figuratively, that meteorites have made on our planet in the distant (and not-so-distant) past. Filmmakers Herzog and Oppenheimer deliver an exceedingly erratic documentary that undoubtedly feels a good half hour longer than necessary, although, having said that, it’s hard to deny that Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds is, in spurts, far more compelling than one might’ve anticipated – with the picture certainly benefiting from an ongoing inclusion of fascinating, eye-opening segments and sequences. (There is, for example, a captivating interlude in the film’s second half devoted to the folks in charge of protecting Earth from incoming meteorites.) There’s little doubt, however, that the movie is occasionally just a little too dry and technical for its own good (ie the sporadic emphasis on scientific minutia is a little tough to take, to put it mildly), although, as expected, Herzog’s quirky narration goes a long way towards smoothing over lackluster stretches and keeping things interesting. (Describing a rundown tourist area in Mexico, Herzog notes that the town is “so godforsaken you want to cry.”) The end result is a relentlessly erratic endeavor from as hit-and-miss a filmmaker as currently exists, with the movie’s positives, including a breathtaking segment set in Antarctica, generally compensating for its myriad of underwhelming attributes.

**1/2 out of ****