"The Day After Tomorrow" DVD Review

Unless you've got a big-screen TV, the tornadoes and other CGI special effects aren't going to look as frighteningly authentic as they did on the big screen. But it's a trade-off. In theaters you didn't get to see the "The Day After Tomorrow" 'Making Of' features that make the DVD worth picking up.

Dennis Quaid stars as a paleoclimatologist who tries to convince government officials we're on a path to disaster if we don't seriously consider doing something about global warming. His speech before officials from all corners of the world falls on deaf ears. As if taking her cue from Quaid, nature soon begins to fight back. Tornadoes and flooding are just the beginning of a new ice age that threatens to destroy the planet.

Jake Gyllenhaal co-stars as Quaid's brainy son who happens to be far from home when Mother Nature decides she's had enough. Dennis Quaid must fight against all odds to travel to New York and save Gyllenhaal and his schoolmates.

Quaid and Gyllenhaal may be the two human stars of "The Day After Tomorrow" but it's really the special effects that make this movie worth viewing. Had it not been for all the hoopla surrounding the film's initial release - environmentalists and scientists squared off over its accuracy - it may have been easier to just enjoy the movie for the disaster flick it is, and forget about the storyline and dialogue. Now with "The Day After Tomorrow's" DVD release, it's much easier to separate the fact this movie's just for entertainment purposes from the political statements which clouded its debut in theaters.

As far as the DVD bonus features, be sure to play the DVD-ROM 'Making Of' featurettes (you may have to install a special program to access the content). There's a treasure chest of behind-the-scenes footage included on the disc.