Could have been brilliant, but...

Rating: Null/10 (28 May 2004)

I had been reading a lot of bad word for this movie over the past two weeks. Just about no one had a single good word for it. However, I was adamant that I would watch it. I loved ID4 and did not mind Godzilla. So as soon as it released I went to see it.
First the plus points! The special FX are by far the classiest I have ever seen. Everything from the tornadoes in LA to the floods in NYC is a visual treat for the spectator. The scene where Lady Liberty is frozen is stunning. Full marks to Emmerich for that.
Secondly, Dennis Quaid delivers a decent performance. I had never liked him much. But, he is good in this movie. Jake Gyllenhaal is cute, but hasn't got much of a role to talk about. Sela Ward as Dr. Lucy Hall is excellent.
But only jazzy FX and good performances cannot make a movie great. The movie's greatest fault lies in the script. Emmerich the director is let down by Emmerich the story - writer. There are a lot of questions left unanswered in the movie. For example, why the sudden global warming? Moreover, why does it suddenly stop in the end? Dennis Quaid's analysis show that the superstorm would spread throughout the world and cause a new ice age. Then, why does it stop and clear at the tip of the United States. There are some other questions. The director could have added another 15 mins. to explain these plot holes.
Another problem is that it is too predictable. One can guess the next scene very easily. The backbone of ID4 was the witty oneliners and the well defined characters. Sadly, these qualities are absent in this venture.
All in all, DAT succeeds at some points but falters on others. Don't expect sense and logic. Do not expect a ID4 and you will not be disappointed. For FX lovers like me, do not miss the movie at any cost! I give it a 7/10.