“The Day After Tomorrow” (20th Century Fox)
“The Day After Tomorrow” is a perfect summer movie treat. It has thrills, chills and special effects that will amaze you. It also has a family oriented plot at its core so you will be visually filled as well as emotionally satisfied. Director Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day”) may not be the subtlest director around but he sure knows how to please an audience.
Dennis Quaid stars as Jack Hall, a climatologist who thinks the world is on the brink of another ice age. He is trying to get his message out but no one, especially the politicians, will listen to him. Jack thinks this horrific event is still a good way off, but he is wrong. Nature begins acting crazily and before you know it, tomorrow is here.
Jack’s son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is on a school trip to New York. Jack and his ex-wife Lucy (Sela Ward) are both in Washington, DC. Jack has been urging Sam to come home as quickly as possible but then he learns a tidal wave is sweeping New York City. He urges Sam to seek high ground and stay put. He promises he will come for him.
Watching the tidal wave sweep over the city is one of the highlights of the movie. A scene of tornadoes striking Los Angeles is also impressive. There seems to be one earth-shattering event after another with the human story gluing these incidents together.
None of the actors is outstanding, but they are all competent. Quaid is tough and tenacious as Jack. Gyllenhaal is very low key as Sam. Ward is bravely beautiful as Lucy, and she is the one you wish you could have learned more about, but her scenes are limited. Ian Holm makes a good impression as a doomed scientist.
Some characters seem to fade from the movie without resolution, and other plot elements seem to get short attention. These flaws are sure to be remedied with the release of the DVD when there will be no time constraints.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence.
The political aspects of the film provide some unexpected humor, while the believability of the scenes of nature’s rampages are sobering. You will find yourself thinking about the movie’s theme long after you have left the theater.
In the short run the movie’s value is in its amazing special effects. Even in today’s magical world of computer generated action, these scenes are still stunning. They make “The Day After Tomorrow” worth seeing. It is a film that will make you think even while you are having a great time.
I scored “The Day After Tomorrow” a stormy 7 out of 10.
