a really wonderful cast and very talented technical crew waste their valuable career time and and our equally valuable leisure time and by bother to support this utterly predictable and plainly formulaic piece of commercial junk . the movie be base upon a really good and very topical idea but both the producer and the director simply apply the standard hollywood wouldisaster movie formula and thereby ruin any potential value from the production . an unusually high tide and very strong gale condition combine to produce a record high storm surge that overwhelm london and flood most of the thames valley . the plot center around a heroic scientist ( tom courtenay ) who alert the authority of the danger and ultimately save the day and a glamorous female police chief who run the entire show and an embattled deputy prime minister ( david suchet ) who try to look important . but it all so unreal that one feel like an extended tea break after just 30 minute . the young glamorous female police commissioner demand complete authority over the army during a declared state of emergency and get it ( a if . ) . the experienced general be just push aside like a complete moron who have to lick her boot because of her obviously superior capacity . the trouble be that our female supremo and whilst now responsible for million of life and spend most of her time worrying over the fate of her two daughter who have take a trip to south west london and haven not telephone to say they be alright . so our mighty woman set her staff to look for them and decide that the sole priority for all the army and the rescue service must be south west london and not any other quarter of the city . of course the minister and the army and the entire entourage accept her prioritization without question . one can only assume they all have property there . when her child be eventually find after endless report and effort by her staff she be tell by our male hero and thank god theyre safe and that the main thing . never mind about the million of others or all the other responsibility she be suppose to control while as long a her own kid be safe everything be alright . this film be just another excuse to push the same old female chauvinist sexist clap trap that woman be the clever and mindful and caring and clearly able leader whilst men be good for nothing except physical bravery and mindless strength and very specialist knowledge . and yet the one simple instruction that she could have give the populace while namely to go to the near tall building and calmly go up to the 4th floor or above and await instruction when the water recede be never give by this female super hero or indeed anyone else . the whole problem be so simple to solve and yet million of people apparently do not think of simply go upstairs . pathetic rubbish .