The Day After Tomorrow **
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sela Ward, Ian Holm, Emmy Rossum, Dash Mihok, Jay O. Sanders, Austin Nichols, Tamlyn Tomita, Kenneth Walsh
Director: Roland Emmerich

The latest disaster movie to hit theaters finds the world being overcome by another ice age as the result of global warming. The effects are amazing, as New York and Los Angeles are pummelled with uncharacteristic weather. While LA is torn up by tornadoes, NY is overcome by a rising ocean and extreme cold. Trapped in the NY library is Sam (Gyllenhaal) and some friends. They are there on a field trip and are suddenly forced to fend for their lives. Sam's dad, Jack (Quaid), is a climatologist who has warned the government many times about the dangers of global warming, to no avail. In the midst of all the chaos, he and some friends embark on a trek to get to his son. Of course, he has always let Sam down before, choosing job over family, but this time it will be different.

The father-son story is pretty standard, with nothing too remarkable happening there. The special effects, however, are awesome. Even after all the disaster movies that have come out, movie audiences always seem to enjoy seeing cities torn apart my forces beyond their control, even if the science behind the global warming is iffy. If you are interested in good special effects and do not need a terribly original story, this one is for you. But, if you are looking for something that is somewhat original, you may want to stay away.