The Day After Tomorrow: Admittedly scary

Paleoclimatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) predicts that the global warming the world is experiencing today will lead to the new ice age. His estimate is at 50 to 100 years from now. When he gives a warning at the New Delhi climate change conference, the Vice-President of the United States dismisses him, saying that the economy is every bit as fragile as the environment. Back in the United States, Hall receives a call from Scottish meteorologist Terry Rapson (Ian Holm), and the latter informs the former that there have been unusual drops in the temperature off the North Atlantic. Soon, turbulent storms circle the whole planet: tornadoes upon tornadoes rip off Los Angeles; blocks of ice rain over Tokyo; and incessant rains are registered all over Asia and Europe. It seems that Hall’s prediction of an ice age will not happen in 50 to 100 years from now…it is happening at this very moment.

The sudden and drastic change in the climate prompts Hall to propose an evacuation of all people south of the United States. What about the North? Hall thinks it may have been too late for them. The radical drop in the temperature will cause instant death to those who would venture out of their houses.

Earlier, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal), Hall's son, joined the mental decathlon in New York. He and his team get stranded there and they, together with other New Yorkers, seek refuge at the public library. On the phone, Sam talks with his father, who advised him to stay indoors, keep warm, ride it out, and wait for him.

Jack (on the phone with Sam): I will come for you, do you understand me? I will come for you.

The Philippines, for the past two weeks or so, was ravaged by two deadly typhoons, which came one after the other. Colleagues and I were discussing about it one afternoon, I think the second typhoon had passed, and we were of the opinion that while the country may be prone to typhoons, two deadly ones were a bit too much. Our talks led us to global warming and climate change. Driven by some masochistic tendencies, I popped in the movie and scared myself silly. The blown-out-of-proportion disasters brought about by the cataclysmic events are stuff made for the movies. I did not bother to analyze the science of it. I will forgive the shallow human subplots. I will even think that this is just a movie.

I will admit though to being scared.