Roland Emmerich's third film, "The Day After Tomorrow," tackles so many important environmental and social issues that no one seems to be paying attention to. Or, if indeed someone or somebody is paying attention, no one is listening. As A.O. Scott said in his NYT review: "Some environmental groups using the release of ''The Day After Tomorrow'' to raise awareness of global warming say in their publicity materials that the accuracy of the movie's science is beside the point. The conditions could take hundreds of years to develop, and it is the prerogative of movies to heighten, condense and extrapolate. But if the film is meant to prod anxieties about ecological catastrophe and to encourage political action in response, it seems unlikely to succeed. Not because the events it depicts seem implausible, but because they seem like no big deal".The film also tackles issues like bureaucracy, indifference, migration, discrimination, family bonding, and apocalyptic sequences. Oh, it also shows scenes of bibliophilia (I'm sure my friend the Ca t will like this part).
I think Roland Emmerich has a deep seated anger against New York and America, in general. In his first two films (Independence Day and Godzilla), he smashed and demolished the American landscape using UFOs and a resurrected dinosaur. In The Day After Tomorrow, he showed his anger towards the US goverment authorities by highlighting their indifference and ignorance towards environmental issues (the one who played US Vice-President had an uncanny semblance to VP Dick Cheney). He also emphasized a reversal of fortunes: when the US had to migrate and evacuate massively its citizens to Mexico and other third-world countries to avoid the cold wave sweeping the northern states. There was even a scene where Mexican officials had to close the US-Mexican border to drive away the droves of American refugees trying to enter their country.
I would love to see the day when American refugees come to our own shores and beg us for food and jobs. But that just happens in movies, like this one. Reality tells me this will never occur; I have to stop daydreaming.
Even the movie poster shows a frozen Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty, I think, is memorable for the thousands of European migrants who came to New York many years ago. Showing it under thick slabs of ice can mean that Emmerich is fed up with the worldwide brain drain and wants a shift, which only a weather disaster movie like his, can attain. But that's just my opinion. Feel free to contradict.
Nearly two hours into the movie, after an onslaught of blizzards, tornadoes, and hailstorms, the real day after tomorrow begins. The title isn't really what the movie is about; the title should have been the sequel's. That is, if there will be a sequel. You see, Shrek 2 still reigns in top post after 2 weeks.
If you care about the environment, see this film. If you don't, see this film too, so that you may learn how-to. This film is worth your time and money. Watch it!
