Bring Your Jacket.

Rating: Null/10 (3 June 2004)

You know, it was so hard to resist those tempting trailers and posters. I just had to see this movie. It's safe to say that I (and most people) knew what to expect when walking into the theater for this one. Roland Emmerich, the man who brought us "Independence Day" and "Godzilla" -- two movies I thoroughly enjoyed (yes, you heard right, I liked "Godzilla") -- returns to direct his first popcorn-flick in six years: "The Day After Tomorrow." Accelerated global warming causes unusual weather patterns, oceans overflow onto land, and before you know it, New York City is sealed in ice (I'm sure other cities are as well, but this movie mainly focuses on NYC) and a few survivors, including the son of the scientist who saw all of this coming, are stored in a library that just barely reaches above the surface of the ice. As pointed out to us in the mid-section of the film, the entire Nothern Hemisphere is basically trapped in an ice age. Hardly any survivors are expected, and anyone who lives in southern USA is urged to flee to Mexico -- illegally (I'll admit, it was kind of funny to watch people rushing the Mexican border, instead of vice versa). In the meantime, the father is rushing to reunite with his son in hopes of leading him to safety (you know how this ends...). There are many predictable plot-points and twists headed our way, and sure, not all of the information pans out too well, but this is strictly a fun popcorn flick. A two-hour escape. In the tradition of other like-minded movies such as "Armageddon" and "Twister," you can't overanalyze the material, or you won't enjoy it. Just like Emmerich's previous films, it is engrossing, an assault on the senses and creates a sense of awe with it's mindblowing special effects. Aside from the clumsy "frozen helicopter" bit, the effects are top-notch and completely breath-taking. The acting is good for the most part. The leads are sympathetic, even if there isn't much exposition behind them. And let us not forget our all too familiar President and Vice President characters. I know I got a chuckle out of that. Poor George W. He never saw the blizzard coming.
7/10