Description: When global warming triggers the onset of 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 in the face of an enemy more powerful and relentless than any they've ever encountered: Mother Nature!
Amazon.com: Supreme silliness doesn't stop The Day After Tomorrow from being lots of fun for connoisseurs of epic-scale disaster flicks. After the blockbuster profits of Independence Day and Godzilla, you can't blame director Roland Emmerich for using global warming as a politically correct excuse for destroying most of the northern hemisphere. Like most of Emmerich's films, this one emphasizes special effects over such lesser priorities as well-drawn characters and plausible plotting, and his dialogue (cowritten by Jeffrey Nachmanoff) is so laughably trite that it could be entirely eliminated without harming the movie. It's the spectacle that's important here, not the lame, recycled plot about father and son (Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal) who endure an end-of-the-world scenario caused by the effects of global warming. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the awesome visions of tornado-ravaged Los Angeles, blizzards in New Delhi, Japan pummeled by grapefruit-sized hailstones, and Manhattan flooded by swelling oceans and then frozen by the onset of a modern ice age. It's all wildly impressive, and Emmerich obviously doesn't care if the science is flimsy, so why should you? --Jeff Shannon
Review of the Blu-ray version Overall, this is a fun film. I realize that the politics of global warming get people going on both sides, but viewed strictly as an action/sci-fi film, I found it very entertaining. Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal are quite serviceable in the leads, and Emmy Rossum is cute as a button (why hasn't she had a more successful career?). There are few story glitches: [SPOILER ALERT] At one point, we are told that Texas and the Southwest U.S. are spared from the devastating ice and snow. Why, then, are people shown streaming over the Rio Grande (during perfectly fine weather!) and why does the U.S. president end up in Mexico City (instead of, say, Houston)? Also, with all the attention on Dennis Quaid making it back to New York to rescue Jake, what about the families of the other people trapped in the library? None of Jake's friends seem the least concerned about the fates of their parents or siblings. The especial effects are good, with the exception of the wolves on the ship, who seem too obviously cgi.
The Blu-Ray transfer is ok, but not great. Some scenes are very crisp, but many seem at about good DVD level. Like other reviewers, I also had some trouble with the sound, with some of the dialog being a little difficult to make out. There are no extras beyond a few deleted scenes. The most interesting deleted (or alternate) scene involves the wolves chasing Jake all the way back to the room in the library with the fireplace. That the wolves were dropped from the release print is another indication that the cgi on them just didn't work out.
All in all, a decent flick, particularly if you get it, as I did, as part of Amazon's combo with the Terminator and I, Robot.
An Entertaining Movie and a Good Blu-ray Transfer This review has two parts 1) About the movie (the story) and 2) about the Blu-ray DVD. I own both the standard DVD and the Blu-ray of this movie. My review is of the Blu-ray version.
First - this movie is entertainment, with an overtone that Global Warming is happening and it could impact us in big ways. It doesn't point fingers, so please don't get bogged down in associating this with the Global Warming debates. Global Warming is just the catalyst for this highly entertaining action movie. If want to hold the film to scientific exactness, then you won't like it - but then you probably won't like many movies other than documentaries anyway. This is just entertainment, and it's great at that. If you enjoy movies like Twister or Independence Day, then you should like this movie as well.
Second - the Blu-ray version of the movie is pretty well done. It adds clarity Blu-ray movies should have, but there are still scenes that don't have the sharpness you would expect. I assume the source was just not high enough quality in some scenes to allow for a Blu-ray resolution output. Some scenes were still as grainy as the DVD version. This is why I only give this movie 4 stars. Still, overall I feel satisfied with the improvement.
For those that have good sound systems as part of their home theater setup, you'll REALLY like how the Blu-ray version makes you feel you are part the action. The Lossless Audio (DTS HD 5.1 Master Lossless Audio) really makes the sound rock, and allowed me to feel immersed in the story. Got the neighbors interested in Blu-ray as well! (You'll have to make sure your setup can decode this though.)
Good video, sound is just a bit muddy I'm not looking to review the movie since you can get tons of reviews everywhere. All I'll say is that it's a fun movie if you don't take it too seriously.
The video quality of the Blu-Ray edition is really good, good enough that you don't notice it, you just feel like you're in the action. It's as good as being at the theater. The sound quality is also good, but not perfect; in places it's muddy, particularly when there's a lot of weather howling sounds. Dialogue is crisp and easy to follow, but this doesn't drive your subwoofer as much as you'd expect given the subject matter, and some of the sound just doesn't pop like you'd figure. It's not bad, it's just not as good as you'd hope.
Great movie, great price Terrific movie. Didn't want to pay much and I got what I wanted. Quality video, low price. Thanks.
IS ANYONE ELSE HOT AND COLD? The Day After Tomorrow is a disaster film that succeeded in getting across it's message about global warming while still keeping it's audience thoroughly entertained.The plot follows a Climatologist named Jack and his son,who are unfortunately States apart when Mother Nature finally decides she's smelled enough burning fuel.It's up to Jack to convince higher authorities that the worst isn't over and to reach his son before it's too late.The acting is quite good for a summer blockbuster and the special effects are top-notch,such as a massive tsunami swallowing New York or a dozen Tornadoes tearing apart L.A. Afterall,these are the same people who made Independence Day so should we expect anything less? The film was well cast and the musical score fits the movie quite well.While it's not a perfect film,The Day After Tomorrow sets itself apart from other disaster movies by confronting you with an unfortunate truth about the future while still entertaining the crap out of you.
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