<byline><![CDATA[20th Century Fox, 12, 124 minsJames HopkirkΓÇÖs insider view]]></byline>
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<body><![CDATA[When it comes to disaster movies, the director Roland Emmerich has been there, destroyed that. Whether itΓÇÖs aliens wasting the White House (Independence Day) or a giant lizard rampaging through New York (Godzilla), when EmmerichΓÇÖs around national monuments everywhere are in peril. This time demolition duties have been given to Mother Nature ΓÇô and boy, is she mad. From the beginning Dennis QuaidΓÇÖs climatologist is predicting potentially catastrophic temperature shifts thanks to global warming, but Mr President wonΓÇÖt listen. So itΓÇÖs no surprise when Tokyo is pelted by giant hailstones, LA is blow-dried by half a dozen tornadoes and tidal waves batter Manhattan. ThereΓÇÖs some hokum in the middle about Quaid trying to rescue his son (Jake Gyllenhaal), but who cares when the special effects are jaw-droppingly sublime? This is an all-consuming tsunami of a movie, where plot, dialogue and characterisation are swept aside to make way for the real star, the weather. And the two-disc set contains enough behind-the-scenes extras to keep even Michael Fish happy.]]></body>
