Now I know why it sank like the arks didn't.

Rating: 4/10 (31 July 2010)

I watched this on DVD this evening, and I'm glad I didn't waste my time seeing it in the theater. A lot of people have bombed on it, and now I understand why.
Setting aside the special effects (which were great, I admit,) we must turn to the special defects, primarily the ocean of trite, sentimental mush. Parents are separated, dad's distant because he's busy with his career, wifey has found a new guy, the kids are as distant to their birth dad as he is to his family (in order to force this point down our throats, the son routinely calls dad by his first name, just so we won't imagine they're close or anything.).
Then things start to fall apart worldwide. There is a lovable radio-talk nutcase who is, of course, right about everything that's about to happen; the family (including dad 2, who possesses invaluable skills) are swept-up in these terrifying events, and by the end humanity is kind of sort of saved, dad 2 is nobly sacrificed to open the role of paterfamilias to the birth dad, and the family unit is back together, all huggy-wuggy and ready to embark on the bold new adventure ahead!
Of course we have the obligatory "what makes us human we can't leave all those people to die" speech and a scientist involved in a secondary romance; we also get the seemingly heartless politician who, in my opinion, is really the voice of common sense.
I hate this film, and I won't be watching it again. Once more, just to be clear: i'm glad as hell I didn't see this in the theater. As bad as the story is, I don't think even big-screen treatment would have helped.
**** for the special effects. And that's all.