--- title: "The Day After Tomorrow: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-day-after-tomorrow/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-day-after-tomorrow" critics_score: 56 critics_reviews: 18 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Day After Tomorrow (2004): what the critics said Critics' score 56 from 18 reviews: 7 positive, 5 mixed, 6 negative. ## Empire — Colin Kennedy Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls it arguably Emmerich's best film, praising its focus on the disaster genre and three standout sequences of destruction (LA tornados, New York flooding, and superfreeze) that showcase his flair for spectacle with a chilling subtext. He notes it sustains interest better than prior works despite some clichés. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/day-tomorrow-review/) ## Radio Times — Sloan Freer Rating 4/5. This is praised as a jaw-dropping spectacle that surpasses Emmerich's earlier films, delivering thrilling weather effects and entertainment value despite cheesy dialogue and melodramatic performances. The focus on global warming and superstorms makes it a cautionary tale worth the Hollywood excess. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-e83nwu/the-day-after-tomorrow/) ## The Telegraph — Tim Robey Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2004. The film is both sillier and more enjoyable than Emmerich's prior works, with gleeful political satire and special effects that reach a high-water mark, especially the icy Manhattan transformation. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3617865/Its-a-new-Ice-Age-cool.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2004. The critic finds the movie profoundly silly but also very scary due to its awesome special effects, which make it work despite cornball plotting. He singles out the stupendous effects and amusing moments like Americans becoming illegal immigrants in Mexico. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-day-after-tomorrow-2004) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2004. The film is called a superior blockbuster that delivers visceral thrills and spectacle through Emmerich's B-movie style, with gleeful unreality in its effects. It praises the fun diversion and strong box-office potential while noting the formulaic plot holes. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-day-after-tomorrow/4018799.article) ## The Times — Cosmo Landesman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2004. The special effects are genuinely impressive and deliver the disaster spectacle well, but the human drama and characters lack depth and emotional impact. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/film-these-special-effects-are-really-wizard-62gk3mhh0wv) ## The New York Times — A. O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2004. The critic views it as an entertaining disaster movie in the tradition of 1970s calamity films, most engaging when it acknowledges its own swaggering cheesiness. He singles out the lead performance by Dennis Quaid for walking credibly in the footsteps of classic action heroes. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/27/movies/film-review-smart-hero-dumb-officials-huge-sheet-of-ice.html) ## Time Out — TJ Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic finds Emmerich's disaster spectacle entertaining in its over-the-top destruction of New York and other cities, grounded loosely in climate warnings. While acknowledging the cheesy elements and lack of real thrills, it notes a cautionary note about environmental policy. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-day-after-tomorrow) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2004. The critic finds it a disarmingly pulpy, eye-popping disaster movie in the first half but an increasingly dull survival melodrama in the second. He singles out the spectacular special effects depicting devastation in New York and Los Angeles. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/the-day-after-tomorrow-3-1200533149/) ## The Independent — Nicholas Barber Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2004. The critic praises the film's outstanding destruction sequences, such as an ice storm in Tokyo and an ocean liner in flooded Manhattan streets. However, the review faults the thin plot and weak character moments between the set pieces. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban-pg-the-day-after-tomorrow-12a-565367.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2004. The critic notes the funereal, sober tone unlike Emmerich's previous gleeful destructions and finds it less fun because viewers can imagine themselves in the peril. She singles out the impressive digital destruction of New York for its eerie, mesmerizing force. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-may-28-et-dargis28-story.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2004. The critic finds the special effects spectacular but is overwhelmed by terrible dialogue, insincere environmental waffle and poor acting, feeling the silliness and boredom close in. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,1225934,00.html) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2004. The film carries on Emmerich's tradition of not being particularly good, with slack storytelling and watered-down Spielbergisms, though its talent for stretching a simple concept remains impressive. After the initial disaster spectacle, it becomes the dull kind of bad, running out of tricks once the freeze sets in. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-day-after-tomorrow-1798199640) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2004. The stolid disaster flick saddles its spectacle with an election-year political message about environmental mishandling but remains too beholden to action-movie quotas and clichéd human drama to succeed. Mother Nature may be a bitch, but another Ice Age would at least put this sermonizing blockbuster filmmaking on deep freeze. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-day-after-tomorrow/) ## Evening Standard — Will Self Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic dismisses the film as a 'write-off' and 'behemoth of twaddle,' arguing it fails as a disaster movie due to weak casting, simplistic storytelling, and self-deluding environmental messaging that promotes more consumption. He notes the impressive effects but finds the overall execution unconvincing. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/a-disastrous-writeoff-7380979.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2004. The critic calls the film irretrievably poor, a shambles of dud writing and dramatic inconsequence. He singles out the nerve of its puffed-up ecological pride and the way it lectures viewers while offering spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/06/07/cold-comfort-4) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 77/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2007. The critic says that if accepted as science fantasy adventure rather than serious speculative fiction, the film stands up surprisingly well. It is well cast, edited and storyboarded, not slow, with a vein of humour that helps forgive inconsistencies, and provides passable entertainment for its genre. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-day-after-tomorrow-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Den of Geek — Simon Brew Rating 3/5. 28 April 2008. The critic finds the film itself a little ropey but good, dumbass fun when the spectacle kicks in. The Blu-ray transfer and lossless audio are singled out as excellent. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-day-after-tomorrow-blu-ray-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-day-after-tomorrow.md