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Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) says, "Last year's The Core also included a single reference to God, mainly to emphasize that no one should bring him up; now The Day After Tomorrow follows a similar path. Between this, the dull writing, and the hypocritical message—it waves an anti-consumerist flag, yet the disaster genre is itself all about the spectacle of consumption—this is one film viewers might want to put off until some time long, long after the day after tomorrow."

Michael Elliott (Movie Parables) says, "While the actors gamely give it their all … [they are] eventually swept aside by the overwhelming sensory overload that Emmerich dumps upon us. The film's major flaw is in its overt politicizing of the environmental issues that supposedly lie at the heart of this film. The movie's depiction of the political administration is a blatant condemnation of the Bush presidency and its arguments devolve into an overly simplistic 'I told you so' rationalization unsupported by scientific fact."

"In more than one way, this is the ultimate comeuppance movie for big bad Republicans," reports Annabelle Robertson (Crosswalk). "There's also a strong nihilistic message about the end of the world, with nothing to do but listen to environmentalists for our salvation." But is the movie worth seeing? "I didn't expect more than a few visual thrills—and I wasn't disappointed. We need to respect the environment, but this movie will only make people hang onto their SUVs. After all, four-wheel drives can be very handy in the snow."

Mike Furches (Hollywood Jesus) says it "may be the summer's biggest letdown. The one thing this movie forgets is that we as an audience want to care more about people than we do special effects. We see so many characters in this movie that we would like to know more about, but, unfortunately, only get brief glimpses of them."

Bob Smithouser (Plugged In) catalogs the film's illogical events. "Men trekking into the teeth of a subzero blizzard walk from Philadelphia to New York City in just a day or two. There are a few other plot holes large enough to drive a snowplow through." And yet, he concludes, "Implausibility aside, The Day After Tomorrow is an exciting, morally grounded summer thrill ride full of noble characters that knows how to balance spectacle with virtue and restraint."

But Brett Willis (Christian Spotlight) implies that the film is meant to influence the political convictions of the viewers. "In addition to the lasting effects of the scariness, impressionable teens and preteens will of course carry away the implied belief system, and those issues should be discussed. Even some 'post-teens' will be swayed by the message, and could be influenced at the ballot box in November. I wonder if this film's budget needs to be counted in the campaign spending limits set by the Federal Election Commission?"

Mainstream critics are classifying it as yet another empty and forgettable summer movie.

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