I liked it too. It mentioned in passing the effects of Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP). This phenomena (first seen when the atom bombs went off in the 40s) cripples all electronic devices--in use or not within line of sight of the explosion. Even on-the-shelf circuitry can be affected. It’s absurd to think that only the starter solenoid would be affected on a modern car but the ignition system and the car’s computer was not. And what about that video camera? I guess he had it stored in an EMP-hardened camera case. The military vehicles are (should be) EMP hardened as are many modern civilian aircraft so that made sense. If a terrorist wanted to wreck havoc on the US and cripple its economy, it would not set off a stolen nuke in New York, it would detonate it at 35,000 feet over South Dakota where the EMP would cover the whole country from coast to coast (according to the declassified manual on EMP I read in the 70’s). It would probably take out the com satellites too. Think of a US without communications, the Internet, TV, credit card validation or HBO.
Technical issues aside, I think the new plot was fine and the special effects amazing. The woman behind me in the theater screamed so loud and so often it scared me. Tim Robbins was very scary and I think the teen and little girl were great actors--clearly portraying a close sibling relationship. While Tom Cruise was Tom Cruise, I expect his old Mustang would have fared better from an EMP hit… ;)