BOOM! BANG! ... ... shhh

Rating: 8/10 (17 May 2007)

It's always slightly surprising when all the best moments of a film come at the start, and risky at best when what follows is not quite as good, but that is certainly what happens here. Indeed, if you missed the first part, you'd probably wonder what all the fuss was about. But fuss about it you should, as the destruction of the northern hemisphere is gleefully slammed through the screen. Scientific theories aside (well, do you really know if it's possible or not?), the effects of humanity's wasteful neglect of Planet Earth comes back to haunt us with a vengeance as America is taken by storm (ha!). The effects are certainly dazzling - the odd slip gets through but for the main part it's truly an amazing sight - Watch! LA destroyed by tornadoes! Gasp! As NY becomes part of the Atlantic. Cheer! As Scotland becomes a giant ice rink. Although the above sights are truly breathtaking at times, the small matter of the acting is a little less successful. Quaid does well enough as the Scientist Who Knew Too Much, but Gyllenhaal fares worse, as most of the time it's not quite evident whether he's trying to be sullen or is simply bored. As is usual with Emmerich, the supporting cast are largely forgettable and the best character turns out to be The Dog. It's difficult to be truly emotional in the film, as much of the time is spent simply staring slightly open mouthed at NY's icy facade. The impending doom that approaches mankind is almost an irritating distraction from the destruction that follows, and the second half of the film - in which Quaid tries to find his son - is more concerned with killing off minor characters than actually looking at the motivation behind the near-suicidal trek. Even the humble tanker, which gently floats into the centre of the city, suddenly becomes a rather tenuously-linked plot device to add a few more minutes to the running time. But to complain about the acting in this film is to miss the point. The point is, quite simply, the effects. If you can out up with the slightly daft rescue, cornball politics and the occasional dodgy comment (Mexico as a third world country? Ooh...), then just sit back, turn your brain to 'life support systems only', and enjoy. I did (dribble).