2012 – Movie Review

2012_poster

I am a huge fan of disaster movies. So it should come as no surprise that I really enjoyed the end of the world adventure flick 2012. Now, I know, many of you saw the trailer and probably thought it was an over-the-top special effects movie filled with stock characters and clichéd dialogue.

And you would be correct in that assumption.

This is a movie for folks who like popcorn flicks and enjoy big-budget special effects and like to have fun at the movies. I certainly enjoyed my time watching 2012. If you liked Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, Twister, Volcano, Dante’s Peak, Deep Impact, or Armageddon, you’ll probably like this movie. It has similar elements from the spectacle to the characters that don’t believe and later regret their ignorance.

Now, if you hate these types of movies and are more of a post-apocalyptic film fan of Children of Men or the new movie The Road, I would advise you to stay away. This is not a deep and insightful film that will provoke thought and give you a chance to be introspective about the human condition.

It’s just for fun.

For the most part it works. Like all films of this genre, one has to have a healthy suspension of disbelief throughout to believe that certain things are probable and possible as the end draws near. Let’s check out a few of those things.

[**SPOILER ALERT**]

1. Cell phone will still work after the earth’s poles have flipped and solar flares have knocked out all radio communication. Hey, if you can use a cell phone in the middle of a tornado, which happens in Twister, why not?

2. You can jump shifting masses of earth in a limo and a RV with stunning accuracy. No need for stunt driving skills here. John Cusack demonstrates an amazing ability to launch large vehicles in the air with ease without popping the tires when he lands.

3. The dog lives! Masses of people from Pasadena, Las Vegas, the Vatican, and China get wiped out. But there’s a cardinal rule in mainstream movies: you don’t kill dogs! Luckily, the dog survives even if its owner doesn’t.

4. If you narrowly escape in an airplane as the earth collapses around you, and you do it three times, the audience will forgive you for the repetitions as long as the effects happening around the last-minute save are cool.

5. Lots of characters in lots of places doing lots of things. There are times when the six-degrees concept is overused in the film, but it’s hard to not try and expand the world of the movie when you’re discussing the end of the world. It’s not just happening in the U.S.

6. If you’re the new man in a relationship with the main character’s ex-wife, be prepared to die. It’s the only way the main dude and his ex can get back together and for their to be no guilt involved.

[**END SPOILER ALERT**]

As mentioned above, I had a great time at this movie, and I was fortunate to see a DPI (Digital Projected Image) version of the film. It was similar to watching a Blu-ray on the big screen, which really enhanced the quality of the image presented. If you can see a DPI version of 2012, I recommend it.

Look for a who’s who of celebs including: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, and Peter Segal. And is that Governor Schwarzenegger on that TV? Hmmm…

For the ultimate in big-budget destruction and effects, check out 2012. Definitely worth seeing in theatres if you’re a disaster movie fan.

What’s your favorite disaster movie? Leave a comment and let us know!

3 thoughts on “2012 – Movie Review”

  1. Hi,
    The 2012 movie is brought to us by master of disaster Roland Emmerich, director of ID4, Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow and 10,000 B.C. The preview is trying to sell us on effects awesomeness. Let’s strip away the bulls**t and see it for what it is – a likely sign of the moviepocalypse.

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