Film fans are “gripped” by this disaster movie starring A-list actor Jake Gyllenhaal as New York City is falling apart from the effects of climate change.
The Day After Tomorrow is an action-packed film that combines the science of climate change and the elements of a great thriller movie to leave viewers hooked. Above all, it’s the film’s special effects that make it a standout amongst other films in the genre and helped it to win a BAFTA for Best Special Visual Effects.
An impressed Rotten Tomatoes review said: “The Day After Tomorrow plays with the idea of global warming and flips it to global cooling. The visuals and CGI are outstanding. The whole tsunami sequence and then subsequent freezing scenes are just spectacular to watch even today.
“The acting is a little shoddy, with decent performances from Dennis Quaid and Sela Ward. Otherwise, the film is really just a special effects extravaganza geared towards making a statement against global warming.”
At the heart of the story is Jack Hall, an American paleoclimatologist, played by Dennis Quaid, who discovers a huge ice sheet that has sheared off and will go on to trigger a massive shift in the climate. Now, he must make a treacherous journey back to New York City to see his son amidst an international storm suddenly plummeting the world into an ice age.
Back in the big city his son Sam, along with his band of friends, is set to participate in an academic decathlon. Bu strong superstorms and rain flood Manhattan, and the city’s population is knee-deep in water with no way to travel.
Hall is urging the president to move people further south until the weather changes, as they brave the coldest of temperatures. As he makes his way to save his son, challenges get tougher, and viewers are left wondering if they will survive these extreme conditions at all.
A review reads: “Unique and gripping! I hadn’t seen a film similar to this before, so I thought this was great to watch. Great acting and very good effects. Will watch this again and again.”
While The Day After Tomorrow has received high praises for its mastering of visual effects, many have critiqued the film’s storyline. With an overall rating of just 45% on the review platform Rotten Tomatoes, many are critiquing the acting performances and script.
One viewer wrote: “People who are looking for a great story and characters, this movie is not for you. But, if you like intense sequences that leave you on the edge of your seat, you will love this movie.”
While another person shared: “Worth a watch during a snow day. There are several holes in the plot, but it’s intense and entertaining!”
For those curious to see the potential doom of the world, in the ultimate disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow is now available to stream on Disney+.