Dismal Roland

Rating: 5/10 (5 January 2011)

In the usual predictable ploy of the infamous Roland Emmerich and Dean Delvin, the duo takes a promising concept; whether it be alien invasion, global warming, Godzilla (GINO), or more recently the laughable end of the world coming in 0'12. The poorly executed premises are always accompanied by the lame clichÃ© stories and predictable outcomes, which they also never fail to deliver. I will hand it to them the first half of this movie is somewhat entertaining, although only due to the disaster sequences which are attuned with a bit of touching music from time to time. You could almost say it 'felt real', but alas it still grows horrendously over the top at times. Like the scientists who just had to have those samples for instance....yuck, suddenly I have a bad taste in my mouth.
But once all the water freezes, the film becomes hopelessly boring. Dennis Quad did all right and Jake Gyllenhaal did so as well with the script he was handed. Everyone else is mildly dove into, but not enough to hold my attention. The story basically struggles to find things for everyone to do. The end bit with a 'ice age temperature eye-of-the-storm' was a hit and miss climax that just wasn't that involving.
All together your in for the same old eye candy visuals, but you might always take the disc out once the first half is over.