A Great Ride!

Rating: 7/10 (1 January 2005)

Much has been made of the scientific impossibility of the very premise of this movie: climate change happens incrementally, not suddenly as it's portrayed here. Point made, I suppose, but those who make this criticism forget the basic point involved in making a movie: you want to entertain the viewers. While this may be scientifically inaccurate, it's an amazing ride. (And, for those concerned with the inaccuracy of sudden climate change, it's worth noting that the scientists portrayed in this movie also conceded that this shouldn't be happening this fast. That was part of the mystery to it all.) From start to finish, this film has everything a good movie needs: action, real suspense, good if not spectacular performances and absolutely amazing special effects. I thought the movie weakened a bit in the second half, as the focus shifted away from the mystery involved in the climate change and took on a fairly predictable rescue format. It also came across as a bit preachy at times; with barely disguised shots at governments about the failure to really take action on global warming. (Did I also detect a shot at the Bush administration? Perry King and Kenneth Welsh as the President and Vice President respectively bore something of a physical resemblance - I thought - to Bush/Cheney, and in this movie it was rather clear that the Vice President was calling the shots.) The movie could have been cut a bit in the last 45 minutes or so. In particular, the wolf scene on the ship struck me as unnecessary and somewhat tedious.
Still, this was an entertaining movie that kept going all the way through, even if it was slowing down just a bit by the end. 7/10.