tMF | The Movie-Fanatic

There are many theories, ideas or should I say 'schools of thought' on how the world would end. At the height of the Cold War, nuclear annihilation ranks at the very top. While others argue it will not be man who will destroy the world (directly) but - an epidemic of global proportions (most probably from a potent strain of virus - think: I am Legend) or severe climactic change (another ice age perhaps? That would be Day After Tommorow right?) or mechanical uprising (The Terminator, anyone?) or even attack from the outside - conquering aliens (Mars Attacks!) or perhaps an asteroid. And let's not forget zombies!

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Inspired by the upcoming release of Roland Emmerich's latest disaster epic 2012, tMF listed down 10 of the most fascinating 'end of the world' movies.

Before looking at the list, you need to know that it's not based on critical acclaim or Box Office success or even cult following - but a combination of these three factors and how 'cool' it is, thus the term 'fascinating'. One more thing, you'll not see very old movies here - we listed only recent films!

Enough of talk already! Let's see which movies made the top 10!
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# 10 - The Day After Tomorrow (2004) - Well, this is perhaps our tribute to Mr. Emmerich, but then again, it stars our favorites - Jake Gyllenhaal and Emmy Rossum and also, it tackles climate change, something very much in the news right now.

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The Plot: When global warming causes world wide disasters and leads to an ice age, a climatologist named Jack Hall tries to rescue his son Sam who is trapped in New York. Jack must go from Washington D.C. to New York, but on the way some things happen. Can Jack rescue his son?

How the World would end: As the result of global warming.

The Buzz: Not entirely sure, but its Jake Gyllenhaal (this movie) versus Tobey Maguire's Spiderman 2. Tobey's Spidey grabbed $783,766,341 worldwide, while Jake's disaster movie got $544,272,402 - round one to Tobey!

Featured Review: Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicles): "The Day After Tomorrow" isn't satisfying in every way, but in the ways that really matter, it's one superior disaster movie. It depicts the sudden onset of a new ice age with expertly constructed action sequences and special effects that are nothing less than awe-inspiring. The spectacle, which is colossal and at times staggering to behold, begins within two minutes of the fade-in and keeps coming until the finish. I thought I'd seen it all. I hadn't.

On the downside, some of the dialogue is corny, but you know what? No one goes to "The Day After Tomorrow" expecting a Noel Coward play. There are also some moments that are funny without anyone intending them to be, and that's a bit of a problem. But the movie offers many other moments that are astonishing. Here's one: Two men walk along the now-frozen body of water that divides Manhattan and Staten Island, and they pass the Statue of Liberty, now frozen over and buried waist deep in snow. Like everything else these days, that shot was done on computer. But for once it doesn't look like it.

Instead, writer-director Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day") takes an enormous, compelling situation, lays it out meticulously and lures viewers into his fantasy. Along the way, "The Day After Tomorrow" even proves itself ambitious, making a sincere, if somewhat ham-fisted, case that something needs to be done about global warming. It's rare to see a blockbuster take anything resembling a clear-cut political stand. [ read more ]

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# 9 - The Fifth Element (1997): Directed by French filmmaker Luc Besson, starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm and Milla Jovovich.

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The Plot: Two hundred and fifty years in the future, life as we know it is threatened by the arrival of Evil. Only the fifth element can stop the Evil from extinguishing life, as it tries to do every five thousand years. She is helped by ex-soldier, current-cab-driver, Korben Dallas, who is, in turn, helped by Prince/Arsenio clone, Ruby Rhod. Unfortunately, Evil is being assisted by Mr. Zorg, who seeks to profit from the chaos that Evil will bring, and his alien mercenaries.

How the World would end: Destroyed by Evil.

The Buzz: Former supermodel Milla Jovovich owes a lot to this movie. You can say, it's luck but Jovovich went on to play Ultra Violet and of course, the lead star of the Resident Evil series. I don't think anyone will argue, she's the undisputed 'Apocalyptic' lead actress of modern cinema.

Featured Review: Mick LaSalle (San francisco Chronicles): Luc Besson's science-fiction blast ``The Fifth Element'' has to be the most creative visualization since Tim Burton's first ``Batman'' in 1989. On top of that, it's a whole lot of fun. Based on an idea director Besson had as a 16-year-old, the picture remains, at heart, the fantasy of a wild, teenage imagination. - - -
# 8 - 28 Weeks Later (2007)- This is the sequel to the highly-sucessful 28 Days Later directed by Danny Boyle and stars Cilliam Murphy. Directed by Spanish filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, it gave the sequel a different look and feel compared to the original. Boyle actually hired the Spanish filmmaker due to his commitment to another movie, Sunshine.

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The Plot: Six months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes to plan.

How the World would end: The population will die as the rage virus spreads and become a pandemic.

The Buzz: Some would say the sequel is actually better than the original Boyle film, while others disagree and proclaim that 28 Days Later is far superior. While both sides provide very valid points, it should be noted that both films were well-received by critics. The Box office take of the movie reached $64,238,440 worldwide, while Boyle's 28 Days Later earned $82,719,885 world-wide.

Featured Review: The Village Voice's Nathan Lee: Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, whose résumé is limited to the deft if wildly precocious thriller Intacto, bluntly raids the zeitgeist in his sequel to Danny Boyle's new-school zombie smash 28 Days Later. That's forgivable because (a) 28 Weeks Later kicks ass; (b) etiquette forbids Nancy Pelosi from discussing the occupation in terms of gore-drenched cannibalistic anarchy; and (c) topical dissent is as intrinsic to the zombie genre as topical skin problems. From the social breakdown of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) to the undead blowback of Joe Dante's Homecoming (2005), the standard zombie diet has consisted of two delicacies: human flesh-preferably brains and viscera-and subtext, traditionally seasoned with sociopolitical flavor. You are what you eat, and if you happen to eat people, there's bound to be some anthropological gristle to chew. [ read more ]

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# 7 - Mars Attacks! (1996) - If you can recall how Earthlings defeated the Martians, then I'm not going to waste my time convincing you why this Tim Burton film ought to be on the list. (Hint: The old lady's favorite vinyl)

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The Plot: When Martians begin to attack the Earth, several groups of people must try to survive. These groups include a reporter and his girlfriend, a top scientist, the president and his family (and aides), a Kansas boy and his grandma, and Tom Jones and people from a casino in Las Vegas.

How the World would end: From Martian invasion

The Buzz: An inter-gallactic stellar cast - Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker to name just a few of the big stars.

Featured Review: Variety's Todd McCarthy: Script by British playwright Jonathan Gems, who worked closely with Burton in developing the storyline, serves up any number of sweetly subversive scenes, such as presidential adviser Martin Short's use of the White House's Kennedy Room as the place for his fateful assignation with the voluptuous Martian Girl (Lisa Marie), and a love scene played between the disembodied heads of Brosnan and TV personality Sarah Jessica Parker, both of whom have been kidnapped and dismembered by the Martians.