The Day the Earth Caught Fire

British actor Michael Caine (who has a bit role in this movie) once said that a problem with the British film industry is that instead of making "moving pictures" like the Americans often make, British filmmakers quite often make "talking pictures". He added that sometimes it gets worse, with some British films more or less being "illustrated radio".

Well, "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" is not illustrated radio, but for a large part it could be considered a "talking picture". After an admittedly interesting opening, the next hour or so of the movie is quite slow and talky. While it does feel like a more realistic take on a (slowly!) building crisis, I think some people will be severely bored by this section of the movie. An American movie would have thrown in some excitement and some more special effect sequences to make sure the first hour of the movie would hold the audience's attention. Personally, I wasn't really bored by this first hour, but I admit it sure seemed to be padded out at times.

The last half hour does pick up considerably, adding action, tension, and some pretty good special effects. Then there is an ending (which I won't reveal) that I'm sure will frustrate some viewers. I personally didn't mind the ending that much - it was another feature about the movie that made it interesting and unlike so many Hollywood disaster films.

But I'm not everybody. While I did kind of like the movie as a whole, I can see some people really hating it. I would suggest you read more about the movie before deciding whether to see it or not. Each to his own taste.