The Day After Tomorrow

PG-13, 2004, *** ½
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal

By: Meredith A. Iager

This one makes you want to go buy winter duds, just in case. Director Roland Emmerich who brought us “Independence Day” in 1996 has done another wowzer again with “The Day After Tomorrow.”

The film starts out with Jack Hall, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climatologist, played by Dennis Quaid (“In Good Company,” “Cold Creek Manor”) is with his crew, including Jason Evans (Dash Mihok) somewhere in Antarctica collecting ice cores when the Glacier begins to split big time. This opening scene is a breathtaking which that sets the stage for this film, which is filled with many scenes that are just incredible. In my view, it contains some of the most incredible visuals I’ve seen in years. You’re in for a journey that you’ll never forget. This is one of the best weather related films in years.

Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid, “Yours, Mine & Ours,” “The Alamo”) suspects and warns the government that global warming may be triggering a new Ice Age, but he didn’t expect it so soon. Initial reactions to his theory are skepticism, until some horrific weather conditions start to occur. But the speed at which things begin to occur force drastic action by the government just to save as many people as possible from the unbelievable climatic events hitting the northern hemisphere. Meanwhile Jacks son, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal, “Bubble Boy,” “Brokeback Mountain”) heads north to New York City for a Scholastic Competition, which lead to a rescue mission by Hall and his crew to the Big Frozen Apple. From large chunks of hail in Japan, multiple tornados in L.A., to NYC underwater and frozen you’ll just want to run south as fast as you can.

This is one fantastic film. While this is more science fiction than fact it makes you think about the weather like you never thought before. It is scary, yet intriguing and you may even want to get into climatology after viewing this one. If you saw this in the theater, you know it’s worth another viewing, especially if you can view it on a big screen high-def TV. I put “The Day After Tomorrow” as a definite multiple view film and a new classic in the natural disaster films grouping.