Rated PG-13 for intense situations of peril.

124 Minutes

Written and Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Well, the last chunk of ice that broke off was the size of Rhode Island. A lot of folks would say that was pretty sensational. -Jack Hall

Synopsis

A thirteen degree drop in the Atlantic Oceans current changes the entire climate system of the planet.  It begins with deadly storms that a preemptive strike to the early take over of an Ice Age.  Jack Hall, the climatologist who predicted the event is in an urgent rush to reach New York to save his son that is stranded with a group of students in the New York Library.  New York is flooded and completely cut off.  With the snow storm quickly approaching, Jack fights against the clock to save his son, while the students fight to stay warm.

Review

The Day After Tomorrow is possibly one of the biggest and outstanding disaster films ever made visually.  Where Roland Emmerich occasionally lacks a plot or logic in his story telling, he always compensates with special effects.  This film overwhelms any previous of his in the FX category.  Tornadoes in Los Angelas, flooding in Manhattan, and a snow storm that leaves only death and destruction in it’s path makes for an amazing movie to take in visually.

The character’s are pretty static and dry.  There is no change or growth from beginning to end.  A simple explanation of who they are and what their superficial motivators are seem to suffice so the film can focus on the storms, rather than the people.  This is typical for an Emmerich film, but in this case it was successful.  The visuals were actually engaging enough to compensate for the lackluster character’s.

The most negative aspect of the film was the constant political and ecological elements attempting to make the viewer more socially aware.  You can’t make a film on this scale and expect anyone to take it in as a possible future.  Scaring people into listening never works, it only frightens them more or turns them off.  Most people are conscious of the environment and when it was noted that the polar caps melted had only increased with speed because of Global Warming, enough was said.  Most people go to see movies like this to escape the worries of daily life, not to be reminded we may be the cause of our own cataclysmic demise.  To constantly remind the viewer was just in bad form.

The best part of the movie was the fact that the people were actually helpless against natures wrath.  There was no nuclear missile, or human response to counter-act the inevitable future that left only the death and destruction to a huge portion of the human race.  The realism of acknowledging that truth made the story much more enjoyable to take in.

Cast

• Dennis Quaid as Jack Hall
• Jake Gyllenhaal as Sam Hall
• Emmy Rossum as Laura Chapman
• Dash Mihok as Jason Evans
• Jay O. Sanders as Frank Harris
• Sela Ward as Dr. Lucy Hall
• Austin Nichols as J.D.
• Arjay Smith as Brian Parks
• Ian Holm as Terry Rapson

The acting was fair.  The dialogue wasn’t much to work with.  It was pretty cut and dry, mostly used as a tool to explain the events that were happening rather than be reflective of them.  Jack Hall was the most interesting character that’s complexity was performed solidly by Dennis Quaid.  Both his likability and determination as exploited in the first scene made it somewhat believable he was enough of a stubborn kook to go after his son, and Dennis Quaid sold that truth in his performance.  Ian Holm’s role as Dr. Terry Rapson was small though captivating each time he was on screen.  The few scenes he was in gave the film a load more of integrity.

Ratings And Suggestions

The Day After Tomorrow was a fun movie to watch.  It should have been at least twenty minutes shorter, but the build up to that point left me absolutely salivating for more.  Essentially, I enjoyed watching the Northern Hemisphere be destroyed.  Because you know it’s not real these kinds of movies are a lot of fun to watch.  Sure, it lacked a ton of substance, but it balanced itself out in the end.  The Day After Tomorrow is at least worth a rental, though I wouldn’t buy it.  Two out of Four Stars.

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