The “Other” film blockbuster released last holiday weekend has to be “The Day After Tomorrow”. Directed by Roland Emmerich, (who directed Independence Day and Godzilla), this film is somewhat different from his previous blockbusters – in that this plot is much closer to a real issue facing the world today – that of global warming.
Certificate 12A and with a run time of 124 minutes, the film is set in the present day. The fact that it is not decades into the future, highlights that the threat to the planet is in the here and now. Jack Hall, is a paleo-climatologist addresses an environmental summit; yet his warnings continually go unheeded by his government who are also juggling short-term political issues like that of the economy – a small challenge then... Simultaneously, scientists and climatologists in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres begin to witness a series of abnormal weather/climate events around the globe.
A scientist working at the Larssen B Ice Shelf in Antarctica falls to his death when a huge piece of ice on which they are drilling simply breaks away from the main shelf, creating a deep crevasse. At the same time, climatologists working in Scotland begin to observe a 13 degree drop in the sea temperature at several points in the
Northern Hemisphere, snow starts to fall in India, and tornadoes and hailstones much bigger than golf balls begin to destroy cities across America.
It is interesting to determine what is the main plot of this film – some reviews focus on the story of Jack and his family (his wife is a doctor working in a hospital and his son is a 17 year old student who heads off to New York on a Scholastic quiz competition with two of his friends). However for me the stronger story line was the changing conditions that earth’s people were struggling to survive under; and for me the family connections were almost unimportant in the movie. In particular I thought that the line of a doctor (Jack’s Wife) who does not abandon a young cancer patient in the hospital could almost have been left out of the film completely – except maybe there was a subliminal message hidden regarding the increase in cancer among children – who knows….
What isn’t up for debate are the special effects in this film which are simply breathtakingly stunning and which show many of the World’s cities and landmarks familiar to most of us completely destroyed by the savage effects of the rain, snow and ice.
In New York, people head for the public library for shelter as a huge tidal wave brings the city almost completely under water, and Sam, (Jack’s son), finds himself here along with his quiz team mates, one of whom injures herself in the chaos and the piles of cars which are clogging up New York’s streets and fast disappearing under water.
Amazingly, in making the point or raising the awareness that many world cities are under threat from rising sea levels caused by the melting of the polar ice caps; a Russian ship sails right into the middle of New York City and comes to a halt outside the Public Library. Sam manages to place a call to his father who convinces him he must stay indoors and light a fire as to venture outside would bring almost instant death. Sam manages to convince a few people to stay behind, although most leave the public library on foot and try and escape over the frozen lakes that have completely covered the cities streets.
There were a couple of moments in the film which didn’t seem so believable – for example New York had been battered to within an inch of its life, yet people were able to use mobile phones for a short time afterwards, and Jack going on his perilous journey north is more than bordering on insanity.
On the other hand, while there are plenty of scenes of raw emotion and heroics from certain characters, the film is also interspersed with light humour too; particularly in the library as the librarians argue which books to save and which to burn. Jack’s colleagues who decide to head north 200 miles to New York with him, instead of south, show real grit and comradeship in the face of adversity. And the president of the United States faces one of the toughest calls which a President has to make, which is not to send troops north to evacuate citizens but accept that the only option is to evacuate those further south to Mexico and leave Northern Americans to their fate.
So the big question: is this just another sensational disaster movie or will this one make us take notice of how we are depleting our planet’s natural resources?
The “science” in this film has been critiqued by some scientists and the press, no doubt accurately so – they obviously know their stuff. But I don’t think the general points about ice shelves melting and sea levels rising and threatening the land are under dispute by many of us, and I guess the point wasn’t to write a scientific study of the climate, but simply to bring a threat home to us.
World Plc still has an awful lot to do to generate a step change in the way we use scarce resources but from seeing the trailers, I thought the film would have had a deeper effect on our thinking. However as disaster movies go, it is an worth seeing whatever you think of its scientific accuracy.
In making the film the producers acknowledge that they themselves were depleting our natural resources and support Carbon Neutral and Future Forests schemes which allow individuals to calculate how much carbon they use and how we can neutralise this effect. See website for details: www.thedayaftertomorrow.com (hellish on dial-up).
7/10
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Production Year: 1945 - Drama - Director: David Lean - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey, Cyril Raymond
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1999 - Drama - Director: Dick Maas - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: William Hurt, Jennifer Tilly, Denis Leary, Michael Chiklis, Francesca Brown
So much detail. I can't handle it!!!!!!!!!! Really great review, keep it up!!! Rock on!
FC_Goat 23.08.2004 11:07
This doesn't appeal to me but great review anyway. xxx
Ibeke 16.08.2004 21:58
I didn't see the movie, but that's what you get when Hollywood throw itself on something actual...sensation without deeper meaning.
I think I'll pass this one.
Turning pressing environmental issues into the theme of a big summer blockbuster, you cant ... more
say that director Roland Emmerich isnt willing to take his chances. And whileThe Day After Tomorrowdoes ask you to suspend fair chunks of disbelief, it is both a...
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boasts pulse-pounding action and sensational mindblowing special effects. When global warming triggers the onset of a new Ice Age tornadoes flatten Los Angeles a...
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From the Director of Independence Day comes a spectacular roller-coaster ride that boasts ... more
pulse-pounding action and sensational, mindblowing special effects. When global warming triggers the onset of a new Ice Age, tornadoes flatten Los Angeles, a tida...
Turning pressing environmental issues into the theme of a big summer blockbuster, you cant ... more
say that director Roland Emmerich isnt willing to take his chances. And whileThe Day After Tomorrowdoes ask you to suspend fair chunks of disbelief, it is both a...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Looks fantastic, Decent soundtrack, easily enjoyable for the weather effects Disadvantages: The story line is so bland and one dimensional, You couldnt care less about the characters
![The Day After Tomorrow - Two Disc Edition [DVD] [2004]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78519533.jpg "The Day After Tomorrow - Two Disc Edition [DVD] [2004]")
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