THE DAY ICE TOOK OVER THE EARTH

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!

THE SELFLESSNESS OF SHREK

Do you still remember the fairy tales of your childhood: Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Prince, Cinderalla, Puss in Boots, Pinocchio, etc? Watching Shrek 2 will bring you back memories of your childhood heroes. I watched Shrek 2 with my soulmate last week. Just like Shrek 1, the movie is fast-paced, full of witty and cleverly-written dialogues, and still amusingly distorts the usual storylines of your favorite fairy tales.

It took 3 years for the people at Dreamworks to come up with a sequel, but Shrek 2 is definitely worth the wait. Based on the children’s book by William Stieg, Shrek is the story of a green ogre with long, bugle-like ears, an oblong face, with frog lips and a double chin, hands the size of catchers’ mitts, tree-trunk legs and a massive torso with a sagging and voluminous belly. His twinflame, Fiona, the ogre-princess, and the ever-noisy and annoying Donkey are still present. The whole storyline still echoes the lesson of Shrek 1: true love is selfless and full of sacrifices.

The sequel takes the subject of falling-in-love a notch higher: now married to Fiona, Shrek now has to meet and learn to like his in-laws who he suspects won't like him. Though Fiona tells him to stay cool, Shrek proves himself right when the animosities of his father-in-law grew far enough for the latter to have him killed. You will laugh when you learn who was tasked to kill Shrek. The animosity between son-in-law and father-in-law soon evolve into a lovers' quarrel between Shrek and Fiona. Additional complexities were provided by Fiona's fairy godmother and Prince Charming.

Grown-up kids and adults will like this movie more than kids. The conversations will surely knock you off your seat.

I give this movie a two thumbs up! Highly recommended.

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FLASH REPORT: Today is the 31st of May, 2004 and according to a Reuters report, Shrek 2 ruled the first 3 days of Memorial Day Weekend pulling in an estimated $73.1 million from 4,223 theaters. It has already hauled in a massive $237.8 million, having raced past the $200 million mark on Saturday, it's 11th day. Only Spider-Man did it faster, taking nine days to do so in 2002. But the $70 million-budgeted Shrek 2 broke SPIDERMAN's old record for a second-weekend haul, which was $71.4 million. The next record in DreamWork's sights, is the one for a 4-day Memorial Day holiday, which The Lost World: Jurassic Park set in 1997 with a tally of $90.2 million.

I think Shrek 2 has all the power and wit to do that and Spidey wouldn't mind at all, because I also think Spidey 2 will break Spidey 1's records.

Sequels aren't just in vogue nowadays. They are now capable of breaking previous records set.