Exciting! Edge of your seat Thriller!!!

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2010)

SPOILERS throughout!
I don't know what movie the rest of these brain-fried people saw. I'm sure glad I watched the movie before reading their 3rd grade diatribes.
This was one of the most excellent, thrilling, action-packed disaster movies I've ever seen. There's not a boring moment in the entire movie and has you on the edge of your seat every moment.
It was a pleasure to finally see a disaster movie which is truly packed with disasters destroying the entire planet and every identifiable landmark instead of wasting time with ridiculous side stories. Most of the movie is through the viewpoint of global scientists, leaders and the struggle of one family to survive. I watched it for the disaster storyline, not their personal stories. When people complain about the lack of depth for the family, this is a disaster movie, not Sleepless in Seattle. If they had spent a lot of time on the personal issues of families, it would have ruined the movie and impeded the flow of suspense.
I'm thankful they kept to the main core of the plot "The destruction of the Earth!" The entire movie was a fresh concept for global destruction. I was surprised to learn that these were not spaceships... although I think that would have been neat as well. However, it did not make as much sense for the two leaders which stayed behind, as it might have made if these had been interplanetary vehicles.
While I understand the concept that no gov't would inform the population of such a cataclysmic event due to global panic and violence which would ensue from the very type of people who wrote those ridiculous critiques many could have survived via ships or high altitudes if they had known planetary flooding was the main issue.
You can also bet the wealthy, famous and chosen few would be the ones to get the seats. It isn't pretty, but unfortunately, realistic (as was the elimination of anyone who threatened to spill the beans). However, I doubt the escape ships would have all been in China. Each country would have had their own assembled at their respective black ops sites, under their control.
It was obvious the person in charge of the plane flight scenes had no knowledge of aerodynamics or piloting. Planes simply cannot fly like that and would have stalled and crashed within minutes. However, it did not make it any less exciting. Having had about the same amount of flying skills, I did share Gordon's horrific predicament at being expected to fly a plane he had never trained for. That part was realistic but I doubt he would have managed that well under those conditions. However, it didn't dampen the excitement of the scenes.
Same with the unbelievable driving scenes where no vehicle could survive the bizarre destruction sequences. Yet, no less exciting even though we knew it was over the top. We were still on the edge of our seats all the way.
On the "divorced family being saved by the part time dad" issue it has been overused from Day after Tomorrow and War of the Worlds, so the theme is too repetitious. I would have opted to save Gordon in this scenario since he was the one who earned the family's love & respect.
You can also bet that the cell phones and electricity would not be working and there would have been in a lot more panic. But our beloved media & political circus would have certainly been making jokes chastising everyone for making a big deal out of nothing (as depicted) while the planet was disintegrating beneath their feet. Have to keep the masses calm no matter what.
The officials also seemed to be unreasonably blind as to what was occurring globally when they had access to hundreds of orbiting satellite systems. It took these survivors a month to find out that one of the continents had not flooded, (despite the supertech ops center they had?) I would have opted to flood all of the continents. I would not have left any landmass untouched because that really changed the dynamics.
I would also have also opted for a simple discovery of the father alive on his ship without the alternate ending discourse. Tsunami's are not as bad at sea as they are near a coast, so it is likely large ships out at deep sea would have faired quite well. The film's research on realistic effects was a bit thin.
Opening the gates of the ships at the last moment was in poor judgment. If they had done so earlier, it would have been OK, but to wait until the tidal wave was on the way was most definitely not the smartest thing to do with humanity at stake.
It would have been better with the president all the way to the end. The SS would not have left him. They would have taken him by force if necessary to save him and the continuity of gov't.
Even with these improvements I would have opted for, I still loved the movie. It was a great disaster film!
Don't listen to these brain-fried low brows who were probably dragged away from their favorite sports game and beer, etc., by their families and forced to watch the movie. Their lack of education and mentality are obvious just by reading their mindless attempts to attack the director and film to get revenge for missing their TV sports; It was obvious just by the time of year this film was released. The reviews improved as soon as football season was over. That should tell you something about the hostility & validity of those holiday reviews.