From its exceptional 2004 CGI to its unique movie idea, The Day After Tomorrow is a sci-fi movie that contains action-packed scenes, attention-grabbing visual effects, and is centered on an issue that is gaining more attention with each passing day.
The movie stars Dennis Quaid as Jack Hall as a climatologist whose computer model reveals that polar melting will eventually cause the vital Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) to shut off, causing the world to be plunged into an ice age. When Jack is ignored by world leaders at the U.N. what he predicted happens, and the world’s cities are ravaged by natural disasters. The main story occurs when a superstorm containing temperatures so cold that people could die in seconds, is headed straight for New York and his son Sam Hall (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his academic decathlon team, Laura Chapman (Emmy Rossum) and Brian (Arjay Smith), are forced to shelter in place in the library while his dad, who after briefing the president directly on what he thinks should be done, makes the journey on foot to try and reach his son.
The movie itself was engaging and fun to watch as the movie does an excellent job of utilizing CGI to capture the attention of the audience. The acting of the movie was also overall well done with the actors properly portraying their characters to the audience. Furthermore, the movie reveals how unity during times of crisis and uncertainty is key to survival, by causing the group to eventually have to stay in close quarters with absolute strangers. Although, the CGI and acting were well done the audience is still left with some questions. For example, we are left wondering the logic behind Jack Hall’s decision to go and save his son instead of helping the possible millions of other people with his expertise of the climate.
Overall, the acting and CGI more than makeup for the flaws that the movie contains. I would recommend this movie to those who enjoy natural disasters, climate change, or survival movies as the movie contains an element from each of these genres.
Review by Aditya