As formulaic movies go, this is one of the best

Rating: 8/10 (28 May 2004)

I'm distressed to see that there're a good deal of quite negative reviews of this movie. I think it's much, much more than "mindless popcorn fun", or "check your brain at the door". It's true that it's a pretty formulaic disaster movie, and the characters aren't terribly deep, and the whole thing may not be great cinematographic art. But neither are there any really bad or annoying elements or performances (well, maybe the CGI wolves). There are a lot of really impressive effects, and concepts. The idea that a mega-hurricane can suck down super-cold air from the edge of space is mind-boggling, and I have no idea if it's at all possible. If it is, it's pretty damn scary.
Dennis Quaid was solid and sympathetic in the lead, and Jake Gyllenhaal was definitely good (although 24-year-old Jake must be tired of playing teenagers so much lately). Emmy Rossum was a very attractive surprise (despite her looking enormously like James Franco's sister), and it was also cool to see Amy Sloan again.
In my opinion, as a whole, the movie is exciting, relevant, current, has a good and important message and some good, charismatic actors. It is eminently watchable. What's more, though, this is a kind of movie that should make us think about the state of the world, and humanity's future. It brings up some important points, and if you disregard those, then you're doing the movie (and the world situation) a disservice. Hate to sound preachy, but if you care about the state of the world, this movie will touch you. The most emotional scene for me was when the tidal wave washed over New York. Powerful stuff, and damn real-looking.
I'm not saying the movie couldn't have been better. It could have made its points in far more inspiring ways. And it had some sentimental scenes that I could have done without (such as the cancer kid).
The only casting detail that I found a bit annoying was Sela Ward's stereotypical "the wife", a generic part that the likes of her and Anne Archer've got down to a tee (though of course the fault is the scripter or the caster's). Other than that, I found only things to like about this movie. Judging from many reviews, its commitment to calling attention to the dangers of ignoring nature's warnings is deeper than most if the audience's. Hopefully it makes at least a few people more interested in the environment.