Billed as a film from the same folks that put together "Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow" shares the same zest for global disaster in the form of special effects, but doesn't quite dominate the screen with drama.

Still, the pace is great, what little story the film has certainly works to carry the viewer through a storm of grandiose cgi. All of the special effects are fun, some are impressive, while others haven't quite devoid themselves of computer creation. The wolves in particular seem out of place and while pretty darn good, still look animated.

Not that "Independence Day" was the greatest film ever, but it is admittedly one of my favorites. "Day After Tomorrow" recreates the ride, but falls short of its breadth and depth. That said Jake Gyllenhaal does great work with very little scripting, he's very strong, Quaid is also likeable, and for the most part, the story itself is enough to hang your emotions on. There are corny dialogue moments, however, that prompted laughter from this crowd. But then again, there are also comedic moments well planted by the filmmakers, many of them political in nature. And the overall message of the film is certainly one worth making.

My girlfriend really enjoyed the picture, but I'm going to give it a B+. Maybe I remember "Independence day" too well. Or quite likely I'm biased since this film floats along a few of the same tributaries as a novel I wrote (Eddie Johnson's Ark). Either way, you ought to know my bent when considering my grade.