 When global warming triggers a new Ice Age, tornadoes flatten Los Angeles, a tidal wave engulfs New York City and the entire Northern Hemisphere begins to freeze solid. Now, climatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), his son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a small band of survivors must ride out the growing superstorm and stay alive. Storyline: As Paleoclimatologist named Jack Hall is in Antartica, he discovers that a huge ice sheet has sheared off. But what he does not know is that this event will trigger a massive climate shift that will affect the world population. Meanwhile, his son Sam is with friends in New York to attend an event. There they discover that it has been raining non-stop for the past 3 weeks, and after a series of weather-related disasters begin to occur over the world, everybody realizes the world is entering a new Ice Age and the world population begins trying to evacuate to the warmer climates of the south. Jack makes a daring attempt to rescue his son and his friends who are stuck in New York and who have managed to survive not only a massive wave but also freezing cold temperatures that could possibly kill them. Written by John Wiggins Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by PeteR, October 29, 2007 -- In Antarctica, Dr. Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) and his team are drilling ice cores when the Larsen Ice Shelf breaks off beneath their feet. Alarmed by this and the evidence his core samples present, Hall attempts to warn government officials that the planet is about to undergo a dramatic shift in climate. Unfortunately, he is too late. Hail consisting of giant ice cause chaos in Tokyo; Los Angeles is devastated by a flurry of tornadoes; and giant hurricane-like disturbances sweep down from the Arctic. New York City is deluged by a giant storm surge, where Jack's son, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaall), is attending an academic contest. After briefing the highest levels of the United States Government, Jack and a small team set out to rescue Sam, trapped by a building winter storm that will plunge the planet into another Ice Age. Much has been made about the science, or lack thereof, in this film. However, if you can believe a stone ring can propel people thousands of light years across space, a Macintosh laptop can bring down a vastly superior alien intelligence, or French nuclear tests can spawn a giant lizard that can outrun Apache helicopters, then the leaps in logic presented here won't prevent you from enjoying this film. The Day After Tomorrow is pure popcorn entertainment, even if you have the feeling the filmmakers were trying to make a statement. The cast: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaall, Sela Ward, and Emmy Rossum give decent performances. Unfortunately, the characters barely register long enough for you to root for them. Like any disaster film, the real star here is the visual effects, some of which are stunning. Bottom line, if you try to approach the film as serious entertainment you're bound to be disappointed. If you look at it as a genre movie in the same vein as The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, or The Towering Inferno, it succeeds. A very good video transfer and an excellent audio track makes The Day After Tomorrow a solid but imperfect addition to my Blu-ray library. Recommended to the fan of the disaster movie genre or home theater buff. Turn off your brain and enjoy. Cast Notes: Dennis Quaid (Jack Hall), Jake Gyllenhaal (Sam Hall), Emmy Rossum (Laura Chapman), Dash Mihok (Jason Evans), Jay O. Sanders (Frank Harris), Sela Ward (Dr. Lucy Hall), Austin Nichols (J.D.), Arjay Smith (Brian Parks), Tamlyn Tomita (Janet Tokada), Sasha Roiz (Parker), Ian Holm (Terry Rapson), Nassim Sharara (Saudi Delegate), Carl Alacchi (Venezuelan Delegate), Kenneth Welsh (Vice President Becker), Michel 'Gish' Abou-Samah (Saudi Translator [as Michael A. Samah]). IMDb Rating (01/05/10): 6.3/10 from 84,700 users
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