Plot
When the polar ice caps start melting at an alarming rate, they begin causing cataclysmic chaos with the weather – and there’s nothing to stop it.
A family separated across the country try to contact each other, while staying safe and away from a super-storm that is slowly approaching… and freezing everything in its path!
Direction
Roland Emerich directs, giving the audience his usual “destroy everything” type film that he is famous for (Independence Day, 2012, Godzilla).
The CGI used here has aged reasonably well all things considered, and looks better than some films made today!
Cast
Dennis Quaid plays Jack Hall, a paleo-climatologist (I 100% cut and pasted this word!) – who is trying to both warn the world of the impending doom, meanwhile trying to discover the whereabouts of his missing son Sam.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Sam, who leads a group of survivors in New York City library. He has a “will they/wont they” friendship with his friend Laura.
Emmy Rossum plays Laura, the “love interest” of the movie. Sela Ward plays Lucy, Sam mother and Jack’s wife (she gets quite a bit to do, and has some of the ‘heart’ within the film).
Dash Mihok and Jay O Sanders play Jack’s associates Jason and Frank (one of whom becomes one of the ‘cannon fodder’ within the film getting a heroes death… sniff).
Ian Holm plays another Professor who assists Jack in his investigations from the other side of the planet. He and his colleagues ‘know’ what is going to happen before it happens, and are a great ‘human element’ within the film. While what occurs to them is not seen, their final moments on screen is actually quite moving.
Breakdown
Starting with a dramatic opening peril, where we discover that a large part of the polar ice caps break off, and start causing climate issues and weather.
A lot of the “human conflict” is from the government who either don’t believe, or won’t pay for helping mankind (of course). Most of this comes from (the late) Kenneth Walsh’s Veep Becker (who survives the carnage throughout!!!). His end of movie monologue is quite poignant however.
Of course not long after expert Quaid tells those in charge what he thinks will happen ‘one day’ it starts. This has some wild weather sequences including tornadoes in LA and a Tidal wave in NY (that moves throughout the skyline to be as perilously as can be sneaking up on the supporting characters. This happens too when the storms eye (which freezes things instantly- one of the more frightening aspects of the film) does the same through New York Library.
There is a small arc (Laura’s injury) that is included that feels like it was added to pad the runtime. If I were to change anything I’d remove this, and give more Jack/Terry scenes, as it felt as if some of their scenes were cut (when they meet in India).
Also more of Sela Ward and her patient, as this was another strong addition to the film, as well as the atheist at the library who wanted to save the bible.
Overall
Still solid popcorn flick, even two decades later.
Good heart, good action, and surprisingly good graphics, and solid performances from Quaid, Gyllenhaal etc.
I felt like some moments might have been left on the cutting room floor, and these possibly could have been included to extend the run time (even if some narrative moments were included to pad it out to begin with… )
4/5
Please also check out my Podcast on Youtube, where we review a new movie every week! Please subscribe!
Ryan's Movie Reviews 