If I tell you that out of my 333-title DVD collection this is the one I’ve watched most often, it might illustrate how entertaining it is. I can’t put my finger on one thing about The Day After Tomorrow that makes it so watchable (I must have seen it at least six times), but I suspect it’s a combination of the global scope, the realism, topicality, stunning visuals and the human interest of the Dad trying to reach his son against all odds and common sense. It helps that the politicians get their comeuppance too.

Yes, the plot is a bit thin in places. Yes, the dialogue can be incredibly corny. But in the end, none of that matters. The grandeur of the piece simply carries you with it and the set pieces are executed with immense skill and artistry.

Dr. Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) is a world-renowned paleo-climatologist. He studies how weather patterns changed over millions of years. While drilling ice cores in Antarctica, a piece of the Antarctic ice shelf the size of Rhode Island breaks off. When other strange weather phenomena begin to crop up all over the world, Hall predicts that this may herald the beginning of a catastrophic change to the world’s climate, leading to a new Ice Age.

Largely ignored by politicians, Hall is proved right within days, but by then it is already too late to save millions of people trapped in an arctic landscape that is rapidly expanding. Trapped with them, along with a few of his school friends, is Hall’s son Sam (Gyllenhaal) who was in New York City to take part in a scholastic competition. Dr. Hall promises to save his son and sets off to travel to the frozen north just as the rest of humanity is migrating in the opposite direction.

The Day After Tomorrow: C4, Saturday 22 March, 8.15pm

Worth a look:
Toy Story 2: BBC One, Saturday 22 March, 5.40pm
The Wizard of Oz: Five, Sunday 23 March, 3.25pm
3:10 to Yuma: BBC Two, Monday 24 March, 12.45pm
Falling Down: ITV4, Thursday 27 March, 10pm