Starring: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetal Ejiofor
If you don't like disaster movies then stay very far away from 2012. This movie tries to be the disaster movie to end all others. This movie does it all volcanoes, tidal waves and earthquakes not to mention California falling off into Pacific Ocean. Surprisingly though this movie works pretty well. I don't much care for most disaster movies. Not because the idea of what happens during a disaster is a bad idea for a movie but simply because most of them are so terrible. Movies like The Day After Tommorow
, Twister
and Volcano
could sour anyone on the concept. This movie while still having many of the cliche things from other disaster movies doesn't take itself too seriously. This allows the audience to turn off their brain and just watch. There are two main stories the first being of our everyday average man Jackson Curtis who has no idea the world is about to end. He is an aspiring writer and a divorced dad who currently works as a limo driver. His kids like their mom's new boyfriend more than him. It was a good choice to cast John Cusack in this role because you can't get more average than him. On one of his weekend visitations he takes his kids camping to Yellow Stone park where he learns something is not quite right. Woody Harrelson has a nice cameo here as a crazed lunatic who actually has everything figured out. Then we have a seperate story of the United States Geologist Adrian Helmsley who first discovers what will happen. The governments of the world then put a plan into motion so that some people will be assured of survival. Will the average man survive? Will he win back his family? Will the government have the best intentions? I don't want spoil it for anyone but if you've seen a movie you probably already know the answers.
There are many other small story lines since this is supposed to be a world wide disaster but most simply serve as a break from the action of the main story or to try to add seriousness to the film. Which doesn't really work. Oliver Platt does a good job as the self serving politician Carl Anheuser. Chiwetal Ejiofor as Adrian Helmsley is given the unenviable position of having most of the speeches and serious scenes, you start to feel sorry for him. The dialogue though has some amusing parts and the movie does a good job of keeping the audience interested in the main characters. That could be because they don't slow down too much or try to get to serious and emotional.
The special effects are very nice, they create a lot of situations that seem impossible to survive but somehow our hero lives while everyone else around him is dying. The scene where they escape a crumbling Los Angeles was particularly well done. Their are many scenes of spectacular destruction if that's your thing.
Overall I'd say if your in the mood for some mindless entertainment then this movie is an enjoyable diversion but you have to turn off your brain a little and just have fun with it. You can buy 2012 on Bluray or DVD from our online store.
+ comments + 5 comments
I didn't plan to see this movie but after reading this review I'm interested in seeing it. It sounds like I would enjoy it.
You're right, there's nothing wrong with a mindless action flick sometimes. But it can't be completely mindless and it still has to be directed with some coherency. This movie is a good example of that. A movie like Wolverine or Transformers 2 are good non-examples.
I actually didn't mind Wolverine that much but Transformers was a complete waste of time. Can you imagine they are actually going to make a third one?
The only time I ever seriously contemplated suicide was during Transformers 3.
Oops, I meant Transformers 2. I always say '3' accidentally - must be cause it felt as long as two movies.
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