MY SISTER SAW THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW today, and summarizes it thusly: “The world’s better off without people, with lots of special effects.” Julian Sanchez, meanwhile, says that the film isn’t likely to hurt the Bush Administration, as some have speculated: “George Bush should be buying people tickets to this movie. It’s preposterous from start to finish.” It seems clear that the film is nowhere near as good as The Poseidon Adventure, and with no better scientific grounding. Daniel Drezner has more reactions of a similar nature. And David Edelstein observes:

The sad part is that Emmerich really thinks he’s making a political statement, and he and his producers and actors are making the rounds blabbing about the movie’s message to the world. . . . Meanwhile, global-warming experts I know are already girding themselves for a major PR setback, as everyone involved in this catastrophe becomes a laughingstock. Is it possible that The Day After Tomorrow is a plot to make environmental activists look as wacko as antienvironmentalists always claim they are? Al Gore stepped right into this one, didn’t he?

Once again, the Gore endorsement looks like the kiss of death.