BACK COVER SYNOPSIS: From the director of Independence Day comes a spectacular roller-coaster ride that boasts pulse-pounding action and sensational, mind blowing special effects. 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!

FILM REVIEW: 'From the director of Independence Day' is not what I would call a ringing endorsement to go run out and watch "The Day After Tomorrow" but to put you at ease, this film is far superior to director Roland Emmerich's silly alien invasion disaster movie. It's still ridiculous in parts, mainly so he can squeeze all his CG money shots in with lots of fleeing extras, but the difference with this film is that it actually has a message that resonates strongly within the world which we live, especially now with the threat of global warming upon us. "The Day After Tomorrow" provides us with a theoretical snapshot of what will happen to our planet if we don't stop abusing the planet upon which we live and start taking better care of it. For this reason, Emmerich deserves some credit for bringing this theme to the mainstream audience.

Dennis Quaid plays climatologist Jack Hall who at the outset of the film is warning the scientific community that global warming is real and will start to have an effect within the next century if something is not done by the current generation to combat it. Unsurprisingly, he has not given much credence but soon his expertise are called upon when several places around the world begin to experience the wildest weather they have ever experienced which ultimately culminates in a massive superstorm which changes the face of the planet forever. The plot is quite simple which is what it needed to be; this is a film about the consequences of inaction and how quickly things can turn badly. On this point alone, this film rates quite highly because this is an important message that needs to get out there and what better than in a big, mainstream Hollywood movie?

Quaid does well in his role, providing the science and the heart which are central to the success of the film. Most of the other actors fair well with their parts, particularly Ian Holm as Jack's counterpart who is monitoring conditions in Scotland. Some actors don't fair well however; Jake Gyllenhaal is a little wooden, and his school friends don't really extend beyond 2-dimensional caricatures. But perhaps the worst of all is the US President, who only ever seems to say, "So what do we do now?" On the plus side though, the Vice-President is an interesting character and has more than a passing resemblance to real-life Vice-President at the time, Dick Cheney.

It wouldn't be a Roland Emmerich film without sequences of money shots. "The Day After Tomorrow" has some very spectacular imagery, ranging from tornadoes in downtown Los Angeles, massive tidal wives engulfing the Statue of Liberty and flooding New York, and images from space of the superstorm changing the face of the Earth. Perhaps the most spectacular shot is the opening two minute sequence which is completely CG and is an uncut helicopter shot flying over the ice in Antarctica - the shot is absolutely photo-realistic and a joy to behold. All of these shots are amazing to watch and are epic in stature but it is a shame that they are quite often intercut with some ridiculous scenes; one that comes to mind as being the worst is the scene where hordes of extras are sprinting down New York streets in an attempt to outrun the tidal wave. Of course, some manage to out-run it! It cheapens the realism otherwise on display. Another silly shot is a reporter on the street in LA getting whacked by a flying building wall which is being carried by the force of the tornadoes. The execution of that scene was particularly tacky. The film could have done without sequences like these as the message at the heart of this film is quite serious.

"The Day After Tomorrow" is a visually spectacular film with a strong message about global warming that environmentalists will love, but it is let down only by some silly sequences and some stilted, boring dialogue.

TECHNICAL REVIEW: The video transfer of this disc is nothing short of spectacular. This is no more evident than in the opening two minute special effects shot which is beautifully rendered and perfectly captured on this DVD. Sequence after sequence of amazing storm sequences are transferred in great detail. The audio is also first rate and will give your home theatre system a strong workout, particularly in any of the big storm sequences. This is a spectacular transfer.

EXTRAS REVIEW: The single disc edition only contains two audio commentaries. The first is with the director Roland Emmerich and a very lively and enthusiastic Mark Gordon (producer). The commentary is problem the better of the two, largely because they go through very detailed descriptions of what went in to the making of the movie, with Mark Gordon in particular providing some colourful remarks. The second commentary is with the co-writer, editor and production designer. This commentary is a little drier and much more technical in nature, but is nonetheless informative. Overall the 2-disc edition is obviously the better buy if you like your extras but as this single disc edition is likely to be cheaper, I guess you're getting your money's worth.

BOTTOM LINE: Worth having in the collection.