Finally a film where the special effects are necessary and not only an excuse to show off a big budget, eh Van Helsing? Although The Day After Tomorrow isn’t the greatest film of all time and the cheesy dialogue is to be expected, overall this is a fun movie with excellent special effects that never take it too far, considering the whole northern hemisphere is being wiped out.
As tornadoes begin to rip through Los Angeles and a massive tidal wave buries New York City the world is on the verge of the next Ice Age, and don’t say climatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) didn’t tell you so, because he did. Despite his several warnings and suggestions the entire northern half of the world is slowly being turned into a skating rink.
So what kind of story can drive this film and give us a reason to experience the insanity? Well, Hall’s son, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal), is trapped in New York City where he and some friends have been competing in a high school academic competition, which quickly turned into a track marathon as they try to outrun the killer tsunami ready to turn NYC into an aquarium.
Granted the dialogue leaves a lot to be desired, but if you are familiar with any of the films in which Roland Emmerich played part of the writing squad (Godzilla, Independence Day) you will remember that the dialogue isn’t necessary as you are there to see a radioactive lizard destroy stuff, alien ships annihilate the White House, or in this case, the worst possible storm you could imagine wreck havoc in our major metropolitan cities.
Don’t go to The Day After Tomorrow looking for an Oscar winning film, instead go in and get ready to enjoy some amazing special effects that can only be truly appreciated on the big screen, because if you wait until DVD you will be upset that you did.
