Movie · 2004 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Adventure · 2h 3m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.7/10 (917.4K ratings)
Where will you be?
Overview
After paleoclimatologist Jack Hall is largely ignored by UN officials when presenting his environmental concerns about the beginning of a new Ice Age, his research proves true when a superstorm develops, setting off catastrophic natural disasters throughout the world. Trying to get to his son, Sam, who is trapped in New York City with his friend Laura and others, Jack and his crew must travel to get to Sam before it's too late.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.7/10
IMDb: 6.5/10
Letterboxd: 3.02/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 45%
Metacritic: 47
TMDB: 6.6/10
Director
Roland Emmerich
Production
20th Century Fox, Centropolis Entertainment, Lionsgate, The Mark Gordon Company
Cast
Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum, Dash Mihok, Jay O. Sanders, Sela Ward, Austin Nichols, Arjay Smith, Tamlyn Tomita, Sasha Roiz, Ian Holm, Richard McMillan, Nassim Sharara, Carl Alacchi, Kenneth Welsh, Michel 'Gish' Abou-Samah, Kenneth Moskow, Glenn Plummer, Adrian Lester, Nestor Serrano
Where to watch
Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict
A big, silly, highly watchable disaster spectacle with strong 2000s blockbuster energy. The science is shaky and the emotional beats are broad, but the set pieces, pacing, and New York-in-peril imagery make it easy to enjoy if you want a crowd-pleasing catastrophe movie.
Best for
fans of large-scale disaster movies
viewers who like early-2000s studio spectacle
people in the mood for a fun, low-stakes blockbuster
audiences who enjoy survival-and-rescue stories
Skip if
you want realistic science or plausible climate fiction
you dislike melodramatic dialogue
you prefer character-driven disaster films
you are looking for subtle visual effects or restrained tone
Overview
Roland Emmerich turns climate catastrophe into a glossy, overblown thrill ride, and the movie mostly succeeds on that level. The appeal is not realism but scale: collapsing cities, frozen landmarks, and a constant sense that the world is being turned inside out one weather event at a time.
Worth noting
It also has the familiar disaster-movie split between a family rescue plot and a global emergency, which keeps the story moving even when the dialogue gets clunky. Dennis Quaid gives the film a sturdy center, while Jake Gyllenhaal and Emmy Rossum help make the younger-thread more watchable than it needs to be.
Bottom line
As a piece of blockbuster entertainment, it’s easy to understand why it stuck around in pop culture. It’s ridiculous, sometimes earnest, sometimes unintentionally funny, and often exactly the kind of spectacle disaster-movie fans want.
Top Letterboxd reviews
alyssa (3★) · 4585 likes
i will stop climate change with my bare hands to protect jake gyllenhaal
Taz (3.5★) · 2554 likes
if there's ever some apocalyptic type situation i hope i get to be with jake gyllenhaal through it
Lucy (3★) · 2478 likes
when disaster movies are comforting somehow
ﾟ✧(｡♡ ‿ ♡｡)･ﾟ✧ (2★) · 1874 likes
jake survives because he’s too hot and the ice couldn’t freeze him