Mediocre Entertainment or Left-Wing Propaganda?

Rating: 5/10 (1 June 2004)

This film had potential, but it was botched from the start.
One would have to be an idiot not to expect a loud global warming message, but it was laid on so thick and in such a trite mode that it was very distracting. There's no need to try to increase awareness on that issue. Unless you live under a rock you already know about global warming; the movie adds nothing new to the debate.
Global warming was only the main of many political attractions; I could have played liberal agenda bingo with this film! The only item that wasn't squeezed in was gay rights-- or maybe I missed that scene. This is annoying no matter your political flavor.
I've heard that the film makers admit to stretching the bounds of credible science for the sake of the story, but c'mon! The opening scene tramples probability and common sense so brutally it's almost impossible to take anything afterwards seriously. The only films such stupidity fits are comic book adaptations.
Did they cast the President as an Al Gore look-alike on purpose?
Is Quaid getting desperate for work or did he accept a guest starring role to help promote awareness of issues, as if that were needed?
I'd comment on the story if there were one. It was a patchwork around effects scenes and propaganda bites. Similar to The Core, only more obvious.
The only reason I rated this a generous 5 is the visual effects, and even then I had to isolate them from surrounding scenes and laws of physics to enjoy them. One exception, the wolf models were lame. The effects were, in general, interesting.
As a propaganda vehicle Day After Tomorrow is very well done, but as entertainment it plain stinks. I don't appreciate having laid down my dwindling entertainment dollars to watch Dennis Quaid's over-simplified political views. The only message I came away with is 'take my money elsewhere next time', and I hope other movie-goers will do likewise.