The miraculous special effects are the primary saving grace of this preposterous disaster extravaganza

Rating: 6/10 (26 March 2017)

Roland Emmerich of 'Independence Day' fame has come up with a new disaster tale, and the primary theme is global warming. This thought-provoking phenomenon is an issue that has raised concern for many people around the globe, while others have boldly dismissed it has a scientific hoax. This big-budget disaster vehicle hosts a wide plethora of extravagant special effects to breath life into a catastrophic, doomsday scenario that is believed to be a global treat resulting from climate change. Although the effects of global warming can understandably lead to disastrous consequences, Emmerich's interpretation of the supposed disaster her is a bit exaggerated. Aside from the cookie-cutter characters and cheesy dialogue, this film definitely falls shallow of scientific accuracies -- to the point of making the supposed disaster scenario preposterous. While Emmerich somewhat succeeds on unleashing the thrills, it definitely requires a strong suspension of disbelief to get past how absurd this movie escalates. So this film stars Dennis Quaid as Jack Hall, a climatologist who discovers the polar ice caps melting, and alarms the government that the disappearance in the ice caps will cause the massive flooding and send the world into a second Ice Age. When President Raymond Baker (played by Kenneth Walsh) along with the United Nations dismiss his claims, Hall's terrifying claims come to life when a series of cataclysmic disasters including blizzards, hurricanes, and tornadoes erupt around the globe, killing millions. With the United States flooded and covered in ice and his 17-year old son Sam (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) trapped inside a library in New York. Hall must sprawl across the now-frozen America to save him.
Whether or not Roland Emmerich is trying to deliver a cautionary tale to those skeptical about global warming is certainly debatable, but it is difficult to believe that this film will slap viewers with a sense of urgency to take action against the proposed threat when Emmerich's execution of the disaster is overblown. Opening with the 20th Century Fox logo dominated by a lightening storm under a dark, cloudy sky, this movie introduces a fairly fascinating premise revolving around the concept of climatic change. The story sets off on a decent note to say the least. But when the disaster sequences arrive, that is when things begin to derail. The opening disasters featuring Los Angeles desecrated by tornadoes and New York flooded with a massive tsunami are thoroughly exciting to sit through and demonstrate the film's biggest strength -- special effects. The destruction of major landmarks including the Hollywood sign is nothing out of the ordinary in Emmerich's filmography, that doesn't mean it can't fun to watch. Aside from this, it is not long before the film tosses logic out the window and the story plunges into a wheelhouse of absurdity, especially when considering how excessively quick it takes for New York to be frozen into a series of ice sculptures (It would take several centuries for the global warming to actually trigger an ice age). Millions of people including some supporting characters perish throughout the debacle, but the story rarely invests in any emotional touch to make viewers care. If there is one thing the story remains remotely consistent on, it is the tension that fortunately pervades a good portion of the father-save-son plot. Speaking of performances, the cast here remains solid, but the flimsy dialogue and shortage of character development stand as a primary drawback.
The Day After Tomorrow is a overblown disaster extravaganza that requires a good amount of suspension of disbelief to truly engage in. But if you are looking for a fun big-budget disaster flick to fuel your adrenaline, this one certainly delivers. But for those looking for something to engage in intellectually are better off looking elsewhere. Otherwise, this Roland Emmerich makes for an okay popcorn experience.