From: iain
'The Day After Tommorrow' is about a time not in the too distant future
where a climate shift happens. This is where the ice caps melt dumping a
load of salt water into the sea, causing a rapid change in current
temperatures. Scientists believe this would lead to a new global
ice-age, where the majority of the Northern hemisphere would be rendered
unliveable. This should take place of the course of several hundred
years normally, but due to the polar icecaps melting prematurely, and
for dramatic effect, this happens over the space of a few weeks in 'The
Day After Tommorrow'.
The film kicked off in a big way for me. A petrifying turbulence-filled
plane ride really got me going, due to my fear of flying. And the fact
that I had the film playing in one of our biggest screens at 3 notches
above the recommended sound level. Straight after that sequence we have
the best thing in the film, huge torando's ripping Los Angeles to pieces
- quite possibly the best special effects I've ever seen in a film. Due
to the fact I had the volume pumped way up I also felt like I was right
slap-bang in the eye of the storm.
Adrenaline-pumping and eyes-a-bulging the film takes you from one
show-stopping set piece to another. Touching down on Manhattan being
engulfed by a Tsunami, to the giant freeze, the film never lets up.
We're dealing with nature here, and it's more terrifying than any serial
killer or alien invasion Hollywood cares to throw at us. I'm sure
Hollywood would agree too, as the tornado rips their precious Hollywood
sign to shreds a-flutter in the breeze.
Even although the back story is completely unbelievale (climatologist
treks across America in freezing conditions to rescue his son), the
cheese and gung-ho shennanigans are mercifully kept to a minimum. It's a
long way from 'Independence Day', with America and Europe forced to seek
shelter from third world countries. Even the President of the USA
addresses the nation at the end with the topical line regarding the
rapid use of limited fossil fuels leading to man's downfall.
So overall a cinematic treat. This is 'BIG' cinema at it's fattest - so
feast your senses, gorge on the effects, but take it all with a pinch of
salt. 'The Day After Tommorrow' opens on Thursday 27th May 2004.
iain
