Global warming has forced the Earth into a new Ice Age bringing about a slue of natural disasters destroying much of North America and the world.

A big-budget disaster film with nicely produced special effects, but lacking in the more sedate (and often more important) aspects of storytelling. The main characters are actually okay, although the threads holding their relationships together could be better. An otherwise fine young actor, Gyllenhaal looks doe-eyed throughout, I'm not sure what Emmerich was hoping to elicit from this performance. I liked Emmy Rossum (Mystic River) and Ian Holm (LOTR Trilogy). Dennis Quaid is fine too as a father determined to reach his son in midst of this natural disaster.

The real star is Tomorrow's effects team. The flooding and freezing look massive and convincing. Many complained the science is way off in this film. Every living climatologist has said a cooling of this natural could never happen so abruptly—perhaps—but this being a fictional story I can forgive the hurried timeframe. I won’t forgive the insultingly stupid scripted antics of those characters occupying the White House during this global tragedy. Fiction or not, any president whose most confident statement is "What do you think we should do?" is a ridiculous characterization.

It might not be the best big-budget film you'll see—but it delivers where you want it. Besides, you know you are going to buy the DVD.

Directed by Roland Emmerich.