Product Description

2017: the greenhouse effect and global warming take their toll as droughts floods and hurricanes wreak mass destruction in a world gone mad one family struggles to survive against all odds.. Studio: Platinum Disc Llc Release Date: 02/01/2005 Starring: Craig T Nelson Richard Farnsworth Run time: 193 minutes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78232 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-02-08
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 193 minutes

Customer Reviews

First half good, second half boring
This movie was a two-part TV miniseries. The first part of it was GREAT, real edge-of-your-seat stuff. The second part was really boring. Even the environmental stuff that had dominated the first half was sublimated to a really boring story that was basically just killing time. Then, the last 20 minutes resolved all the conflicts from the first half of the movie. Would have been better as a true movie than a mini-series.

Decent miniseries
This is a show from the 1990s. As is the case with most movies that imagine the future, now, 15 years or so later, some of the things the movie imagined seem very unlikely and out of place. The 2017 of this movie is a place where there are high tech phone booths on every corner, three-wheeled electric cars and illegal immigration problems for Canada. In spite of some of these obvious misses, the movie does a somewhat decent job of suggesting the kinds of disruption and chaos that global warming could start to bring. The movie suggests hurricanes and coastal flooding, increased fire risk, shortages of water, the drying out of the Midwest, worldwide food shortages and environmental refugees, all of which are things that are thought to be possible under a warming scenario. Unfortunately the movie is somewhat uneven. It oscillates between being a movie that focuses on environmental issues to a movie that focuses on separation and family issues. At points in the movie you can hardly even tell it's supposed to be about global warming.

At the time, this mini-series was talked about as a global warming awareness event. Unfortunately, while the movie got some of the potential effects of warming right, there seems to be a theme running through the movie of the sun being a symbol for heat and generally hot temperatures being a visible symbol of the warming. For the first half of the movie, everyone is sweaty and grimy and there are a number of shots of the sun blazing in the sky. This is somewhat misleading and could potentially feed misconceptions about what global warming is.

In spite of the drawbacks, this is a decent former TV mini-series that will at least get you to think, especially in the first half. Unfortunately neither this show nor anything else from the time seems to have had a significant effect because now, 15 years later, the prospects of avoiding the kinds of scenarios envisioned in the show don't seem a lot better. In any case, if you are interested in seeing what was thought about global warming in the 1990s and if you like disaster-type shows, this might be an interesting DVD to see.

not Perfect...
Although not PERFECT, this film was a moderate eye-opener to engage the viewer with "what if" possibilities or scenarios. Even though the story could have been written better, it was, in fact, educational. For example, there was a scene where many people lined up to pay $8.00 for a 5 minute shower. This reminded us of challenging hurricane seasons in Florida where high-priced gas station lines extended for several miles; and other long hours of waiting for basic needs.

For those whom never experienced a disaster, or those curious to see a fictional version, although not perfect, this film will meet your need and forge a consciousness of preparedness.

We also recommend:

* National Geographic: Six Degrees Could Change the World

* Survival: How a Culture of Preparedness Can Save You and Your Family from Disasters

* The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Survival Skills, Tactics, and Techniques