Like he did with his 1996 summer blockbuster “Independence Day,” filmmaker Roland Emmerich proves to be a master of eye-popping disaster in “The Day After Tomorrow.” Though its hampered by specious science, overbearing “God and country” bluster and several galumphing human interest stories, this $100 million-plus global warming warning is filled with enough edge-of-the-seat action, hilarious moments (not all intentional) and dandy performances to make it worth the price of admission.
Dennis Quaid makes for a fine hero as Jack Hall, a rugged climatologist who discovers that global warming has triggered a sudden, catastrophic climate shift and that the next Ice Age is fast approaching. Of course nobody, save a reclusive Scottish scientist played by Ian Holm (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy), pays attention until it’s too late. Indie fave Jake Gyllenhaal is up to snuff as Hall’s brainiac kid, Sam, the leader of a gutsy group struggling to survive the deep freeze inside a New York public library. Shameless hokiness abounds — Sam’s got a crush on a classmate and has to literally fight off wolves to win her over; a homeless guy nearly loses his dog; a determined doctor (Seal Ward) must save a little kid from cancer and the big chill — but these toilsome plot devices cannot diminish the power of the awesome special effects that showcase the fury of Mother Nature unleashed. (Rated PG-13 for intense situations of peril. Running time: 124 minutes.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 28, 2004. Read the original PDF.