"The Day After Tomorrow" movie

[psmith2.0]

Anyone seen it? Anyone planning on seeing it? Maybe this thread can be the official review-posting repository...

The trailers and clips have amazing visuals, and I'm kinda interested. And Dennis Quaid has long been one of my favorite actors. Long underappreciated and underused, but a solid actor, a guy's guy and always dependable, in that Gary Sinise kind of way. Why he's not a bigger star (and John Travolta is) I'll never know.

:)

The only thing that makes me cautious is that this is from the "Independence Day" guys, and that movie is one of the worst things I've ever seen. Hands down. I actually saw it in the theater and was totally astounded by the corny implausibility and cheeseball dialog and characters. There's "summer popcorn movie", then there's "overwrought, embarrassing piece-of-crap". ID4 was, for me, the latter.

Same kind of "hook" too: eye-popping visuals on the trailer that made you want to go see it (White House exploding? Wow! A shadow cast over NYC? Cool!), but the movie kinda stunk. Think this new one will be the same kind of thing?

Anyway, anyone seeing it this weekend please post your thoughts here.

On a more serious note, do you think something like what happens in the movie could ever happen? Couldn't be that quick and immediate, could it? I don't expect summer popcorn flicks to stick hard and fast by science and fact, but seeing the Statue of Liberty up to her waist in water also makes me wonder about all the "what ifs" out there.

:)

[Akumulator]

I watched the 10-15 minute sneak preview on TV a couple weeks back. Ehhh... from what I could tell, the plot and acting is one giant steaming pile. But it looks so over the top rediculous that it actually might be highly entertaining.

[Moogs]

Don't waste your money / give the Hollywood the idea to make more. My understanding is that it is basically Independance Day meets meteorological doom... great effects I'm sure but the movie itself gives all the scientists studying global warming and these types of issues a bad rap when they don't deserve it.

No respectable scientist is walking around saying that NY city could be under 50 feet of water in two days time, or any of that crap. Pure Hollywood, and they (tree huggers being among them) should fekking know better than to give hard-line Republicans and others who don't give a crap about the evironment, any ammo.

I'm sure someone from that camp will come out after the movie and say "See all the lies they're throwing at you / how they're trying to panic the public into thinking there is an environmental crisis?" [snip] Anything for a summer blockbuster I guess. I hope it bombs.

[psmith2.0]

Wow, I didn't know it was political. I just imagined it being a summer disaster flick. I'd just be happy if it wasn't corny as the alien one. With no Smith or Goldblum present, there's a good chance it might not be.

Jury is still out. I'll be curious to read the reviews coming this weekend. I'm sure they'll start to flow out any day now, right? I've yet to see one (is that a bad sign?).

:confused:

[Moogs]

Don't get me wrong... I don't think the movie's producers *intend* it to be political, but there are politicians who are sure to jump all over it in order to smear those with evironmental agendas, etc.

But it is as you suspect: obligatory summer disaster film....

[psmith2.0]

Moogs, you gotta realize that others besides "those with an agenda against environmentalists" might want to use this flick too. Might not greens and some scientists use the movie for some "SEE?! If Bush and his buddies get their way..." posturing and rallying cries of their own? I could imagine that, especially if the movie deals with global warming and man-made climate alteration issues.

You kinda make it sound like the other side of the coin never carries their own goals and agenda and that only blowhards on the Right would dare read something into this, or attempt to make political/cultural hay from it.

:)

But you know what, the LAST thing I need this thread turning into is one of "those" kinds of threads...it's just a movie, right? I never even considered the above stuff until you guys brought it up! I only innocently asked "eek...could this ever happen?", not intending to jump-start an environmental pissing contest.

:D

I started it about the movie and just don't feel up to a big typical AO thing. Ugh.

Still haven't found a good, in-depth review...what's some good movie sites with some good writers and reviewers? They always say when reviews are thin and promotion is muted, that insiders and influential types are protecting it from early bad publicity. I wonder if that's the case here? They might have a real stinker on their hands? Memorial Day weekend is often a good starting point for the summer movie run. I think "Spider Man" is next, but this one might be a dud?

:(

[autodata]

On a more serious note, do you think something like what happens in the movie could ever happen? Couldn't be that quick and immediate, could it? I don't expect summer popcorn flicks to stick hard and fast by science and fact, but seeing the Statue of Liberty up to her waist in water also makes me wonder about all the "what ifs" out there.
I haven't seen the film, but it seems it's basically making a hollywood collection of some of the theories surrounding abrupt climate change. Abrupt climate change scenarios, however, unfold over the course of a couple decades.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, that's what I would think. Still, would be a boring movie if it rolled out over 20 years time. Dennis Quaid would be an old coot, running around.

:D

Artistic license, and all.

I watched the trailer a minute ago and the effects are really impressive. Remember "Jurassic Park", just a little over a decade ago? How far things have come. Which makes me wonder what will be commonplace in 2014? I can't imagine, as these CGI capabilities continue to grow and improve!

At some point, a perfect and believable human will be rendered/animated and a whole movie could be done that way and we might not even realize it? Right now, humans still look a bit weird and "fake" when CGI-created. But I imagine that'll pass in time.

[thegelding]

yeah for the future...cgi porn will look near perfect

there was a small article in last months wired about aburpt climate change...basically they think we are about to enter one soon, and that it takes at least 5 years, more likely 10 or more, to see the changes...but the changes could be fairly nasty over those 5 to 10 years with severe impact to coastal cities and nasty heat where is use to be cool and nasty cold where it use to be warm


g

[psmith2.0]

Hmm. I've heard that Louisiana is getting higher and higher coastlines (I think I was in junior high when I saw it on the news, but have heard it again over the years). I forgot the number, but the water keeps creeping up (or the land keeps eroding away, whichever way you want to look at it).

Not sure of any longterm projections as to what this means, but maybe I shouldn't plan on moving there?

:p

Any chance we could do something about this bullshit humidity currently plaguing my existence? Man...if you even LOOK outside, you start sweating!

:(

It's not even June, and I'm almost dead. A decade in SoCal really spoiled me, weather-wise.

[SKMDC]

it's this year's "the core"
talk about a steamy pile.
you know you got trouble when the biggest star you can get is dennis quaid. (although i do like him)

[spotcatbug]

Did everybody worry about aliens coming to get us after Independence Day came out? Nope. Same thing here. It's very obvious fiction.

I just watched one of the previews... yeah, the effects look amazing (ID^2), but there was something very wrong. To me it seemed as if the people weren't really there, experiencing what was supposedly happening all around them. Like, for example, it felt as if the news reporters were just kinda watching the movie too. "The Hollywood sign has just been erased!" And, "Look at those two tornados! Wait! They just merged into one, giant tornado! [Aren't these graphics incredible!]" It didn't really feel like they were there. Something about their demeanor was wrong.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, it's called "bad acting". Not entirely a new phenomenon.

:D

[Moogs]

Paul,

Regarding your comments about the other side using movies for their own purposes, I agree. Except in this case, my understanding is, the movie is SO fake / far-fetched, that even most green types won't want anything to do with it. I think promoting this movie would literally damage a person's credibility. It is that exaggerated in its effects and timeline.

Mostly though it's the timeline / the way the movie implies all of this stuff could just happen at the drop of a hat, etc.

[Moogs]

The previously requested review:

http://movies2.nytimes.com/2004/05/27/movies/27DAY.html

[dmz]

I had no idea that the Statue of Liberty could withstand hydrodynamic forces of that magnitude. Wow, the French think of everything.

[Quagmire]

The previously requested review:

http://movies2.nytimes.com/2004/05/27/movies/27DAY.html

Could we have the login and password please. I do not want to take the time to register for something that I will hardly use.

[InactionMan]

If I recall, Brad (or somebody) registered the Username/PW as appleinsider/appleinsider.

I for one, relish the release of the newest hollywood disaster movie. And if it were well written/acted and plausible I would be horribly disappointed. I can't wait to watch shit get fucked up real good! :D

[HOM]

I can't wait to see this. It's obviously not the height of cinema, but it's going to be a great pop corn flick with amazing FX.

Best part of the NY Times review:
"The Day After Tomorrow" is rated Pg-13. Millions of people die, but nobody swears, copulates, undresses or takes drugs.

[Wrao]

The way I see it, this movie is

a) an excuse to showcase effects
b) letting people know that climate change could be our worst enemy
c) Should be relatively entertaining, since doomsday actually happens, instead the movie being about trying to save the planet, it's about saving whoever is still alive.

So, whatever, The effects teams, production crews, set design..etc. All those guys got some solid months of well paying work for making it.

[psmith2.0]

Paul,Regarding your comments about the other side using movies for their own purposes, I agree. Except in this case, my understanding is, the movie is SO fake / far-fetched...

Well, that's hardly been a reason with many before. Why should they start now? ;)

[Moogs]

Well, they *should* pay heed to such things if they care about maintaining a solid reputation... but of course, in this era of media sound-bites, hype and all the rest, it will be no surprise if some green types try and use the movie anyway. There was something in the review about environmentalists basically admitting it's highly inaccurate, but that the subject-matter itself makes it OK to use as a tool for awareness.

I personally think that's a stupid idea if you really care about environmental causes but, then again, if you're trying to reach the veg-head audience I guess you have to go with the drama before the content.

:)

[craiger77]

Todays Seattle Times has an article (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001941116_globalwarming28m.html) that covers many of the questions raised here. It is based on the reactions of UW climate scientists that saw a preview of the movie. There is also a review (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2001940445_day28.html) that pans the movie.

Given that Independence Day was so bad I can't expect much from this director. I had to take a lot of shit from European friends about ID because it was so pro American...only the US could save the world. This was until I pointed out the director of the movie was German, not American. He also screwed up what could have been a great remake of Godzilla.

[HOM]

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Ok. So I just got back from the movie and I've got some initial thoughts. First of all, I'm glad to know that my house some how survived the flood, but there it was at the end in a pan shot.

:D

The Liberal Brain Trust is going to jump all over this movie. We've got the swashbuckling scientist, the incompetent President, and the Dick Cheney VP clone that dismisses all the warnings. Blah blah blah. The Sierra Club was outside handing out leaflets before the movie about global warning. This movie is a Bush hater's wet dream. The theater erupted in applause when the Americans were fleeing to Mexico in exchange for America absolving South America's debt.

:rolleyes:

The FX were really great and Emerich seems to get off on these wide pan shots of NYC either getting flooded or freezing. They looked good, but they contrasted the cheesy dialogue and improbability of survivors that they seem to be all for naught.

In the end, if you're prepared to see some great FX, some terrible acting, and dialogue you're in for a treat. If you're expecting Clockwork Orange, what the fuck are you thinking?

[psmith2.0]

Ha, I too just got back from seeing it this evening.

You know, it was FAR less suckier than "Independence Day", I have to say. I didn't really cringe at all on this one. There was no horseshit "rah rah" element to this, and there were no over-the-top, cheesy one-liners every 20 seconds.

Actually, kinda a quiet movie, believe it or not. No real "bad guy", per se, just some funky weather. Yeah, a little "we gotta change how we do things" preaching in a couple of spots from Quaid's character, but nothing totally over-the-top or too heavy-handed and annoying. Which was nice.

On the Paul Summer 2004 Movie-Rama scale of 1-10, I give it a good, solid 7.46. About the same as "Van Helsing"...a visual feast, to be sure, but it ain't going down in cinematic history as any great moment in film.

:)

Sure, I've seen better. But I've certainly seen much, much worse. Not bad for a summer popcorn flick. And the effects were quite breathtaking in places!

:eek:

And the young lady who Jake Gyllenhaal's character has a crush on was quite lovely and nice to look at for two-plus hours (kinda had a Natalie Portman meets Kiera Knightly thing going on...and that ain't a bad combination at all!). Same goes for Sela Ward, who's a ranking, lifetime member of the Ohmigosh, What a Hot, Sexy Vixen of an Older Lady Club and played Quaid's wife.

:D

But, I gotta say: I saw "Shrek 2" last night and it gets a 9.8 on my scale because it was truly an enjoyable, funny and 100% entertaining movie. I laughed out loud in three or four places (the Puss in Boots character, voiced by Antonio Banderas is AWESOME!) and I HIGHLY recommend this movie to everyone. You'll enjoy it. And no...I never even saw the first one. Just went with a friend on a whim...

[Moogs]

7.46 and grouped together with Van Helsing (which based on my calculations is about a 4.76)... hmm... someone's scale needs adjustment. The read-outs are too high.

:D

[psmith2.0]

Nah, scale is fine. I'm just easily amused/entertained. :p

But those two movies ("Van Helsing" and "The Day After Tomorrow") will probably go down as possible examples of over-the-top CGI and when to "pull it back a bit".

:D

There will one day, no doubt, be an Oscar category called the "Okay, We Get It, Already...You Can Do Amazing Shit With Computers, Now How About Writing a Decent Script!" (aka the Honorary Day After Van Helsing Award).

[Moogs]

I think the movies that have great over-the-top special effects, but which have abominable scripts automatically qualifyfor the "George Lucas Award"....

[Quagmire]

Very good movie. It was hoaky, but the reviewers did not review it well. It should of gave it a higher rating. There were some events that happen earlier in the movie and it comes back later in the movie. It lost all common sense. They evacuated everyone else 1st in the white house and then the president last. Over all it was a strong message and very good.

[SKMDC]

Very good movie. It was hoaky, but the reviewers did not review it well. It should of gave it a higher rating. There were some events that happen earlier in the movie and it comes back later in the movie. It lost all common sense. They evacuated everyone else 1st in the white house and then the president last. Over all it was a strong message and very good.

i think this review should be used on tv ads.

"VERY GOOD MOVIE......IT LOST ALL COMMON SENSE"
--undertaker/appleinsider.org (the quagmire)