The Day After Tomorrow

     This film marked a very interesting time in my life. There I was, bored in Mexico, nothing to do when suddenly my aunt brings over a DVD copy of The Day After Tomorrow. So, with nothing else to do I decide to watch it. And then I watched it again. And then again. You get the idea. This film just clicked for me, but I think the reason it truly clicked for me was because it introduced me to Jake Gyllenhaal who would go on to become a big part of my love of film. In a way, this film is what made me fall in love with film in general because of the performance of Gyllenhaal and the way it showed me that you didn’t need crazy explosions or superheroes and space battles to make a movie exhilarating. I know that this film was a miss for many but let me just try to persuade you to give it another chance by talking about all the good that the film does.

            The main reason why you should give this film a chance, or another chance depending on where you sit, is because it ended up aging incredibly well and is actually quite relevant these days. Throughout the entire film you see politicians and masses of people consistently ignore the advice and suggestions of scientists who are experts in what is going on in the film. The scientists are ridiculed and questioned and every time it just makes matters worse. I find it hilarious at this point that back then we all thought that there was no way something like that could happen. Even the topic of global warming is still a major issue. The relevancy of this film in today’s world is reason enough for you to give it a watch, but if that is not enough, there is still other reasons.

            For a film that mainly revolves around ridiculous storms, this does a great job of building suspense and delivering solid action without being too over the top. The effects also have aged incredibly well. The first act is a tad dull as it focuses mainly on foreshadowing and building the premise, but the second act starts to kick things into gear for a bit before eventually settling down to a solid pace focused on survival and character interactions. And just when you think there is nowhere else to really go with the action, they introduce a new element in the final act and deliver a climactic ending to the film. Jake Gyllenhaal is fantastic in this, as is Dennis Quaid, but apart from them and maybe Emmy Rossum, every other character is a tad forgettable. The characters are just hollow. They mention some backstory to somewhat give you a reason to care for their well-being, but you never really do. That being said, it is a minor issue in a film that is otherwise solid.

            I am not saying that this film is amazing by any stretch. It has its dull moments and it certainly has its issues, but what I am saying is that it has aged better than we expected, and you should give it a watch. Jake Gyllenhaal is great in it and the effects used make the exciting moments of the film that much more thrilling. Is it the greatest disaster film ever made? Probably not. Is it a solid disaster film worth your time? Yes. Official Rating: 3 Stars.

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