‘2012’ is Disaster Done Right
-----You’ll find no apologies in ‘2012,’ a shameless big budget special effects extravaganza larger in scale and wilder than many that have come before. And what more could someone seeing the film want? It’s got your action, your adrenaline, and even some of your emotion in the hands of Director Roland Emmerich, this being merely his latest attempt to destroy the world. Needless to say, however you felt about this film after seeing the trailer is probably how you’ll feel after seeing the film, with action junkies shooting up and indie-lovers bailing out.
-----‘2012’ follows the prediction of the Mayans that the world will end on December 21, 2012. In the film’s take, scientists have become aware of this impending doom a meager three years before the date, and all of the world’s governments are secretly making a plan for the survival of the species; offering up seats only to those who can afford to pay, discretion is a must. Then a lot of stuff blows up and a lot of buildings fall down and the film’s prime audience gets what they paid for.
-----John Cusack leads a sizable ensemble cast in this epic film of survival…or perhaps death. Cusack is likable as everyman sci-fi writer Jackson Curtis, one of many stock characters who remain amiable despite their familiarity. Thomas McCarthy plays his ex-wife’s new man, the goofy but lovable plastic surgeon Gordon Silberman. Starring in the films’ other premiere plotline are Chiwetel Ejiofor as geologist Adrian Helmsley and Thandie Newton as the President’s daughter. Helmsley embodies the believable and enjoyable scientist archetype, and many will recognize him from his work as the primary antagonist is the sci-fi cult classic, ‘Serenity.’ Newton is also entertaining as the well-to-do First Daughter. Playing her father in one of the film’s superior performances is an actor who seldom finds his way onto the big screen these days, Danny Glover. He nicely captures the wisdom of a seasoned politician in his small but memorable role. Playing do-what-it-takes politician Carl Anheuser is Oliver Platt, and while the film paints him as somewhat ruthless and greedy in his struggle to survive, I couldn’t help but think his methods were occasionally a necessary means to an end when considering the stakes on the table. Woody Harrelson, now a hero to action junkies for his role in ‘Zombieland,’ plays a kooky radio host conspiracy theorist who’s had it right all along. Harrelson is very funny here, providing one of the film’s few comedic touches. Zlatco Buric plays a greedy and extremely wealthy Russian with tickets for these mysterious ships, and a slew of many more recognizable faces round out the rest of this beasty ensemble. This includes some good work from actors like Johann Urb as a Russian James Bond of sorts, along with Blu Mankuma and George Segal as cruise ship blues singers. Overall it’s a relatively first-rate ensemble with a few mediocre performances mixed in, and more often than not one that employs stock characters.
-----While the actors certainly do their part, what really reigns supreme in a disaster movie is the effects work, and here it is absolutely gorgeous. Going from one phenomenal display to the next, each new setting for mass annihilation provides a crescendo of crumbling buildings, grand explosions, and roaring tsunamis, all delivering one great thrill after the next. The script, as alluded to in the breakdown of the cast, can certainly be cliché, silly, and simple, but the dialogue is above all a means to an end. And that’s not to suggest there aren’t a number of great scenes among the typically conventional ones. A few character driven moments define the drama that, as it should, takes back seat to the effects in ‘2012.’ And if you’re willing to bear a few minutes of scenes we’ve all seen many times, and a climax not quite up to the prestige of earlier action sequences, then there’s not much to complain about here.
-----The musical score is solid, providing a sense of the momentous occasion that is end of the world as we know it. The special effects, as previously mentioned, are consistently superb. The many locations used are beautiful, and the pacing is fast even with the extended runtime of two and a half hours. All in all, it’s a pretty sound technical production, one which never mistakes the purpose of the film; mass obliteration on a global scale.
-----I’ve always been the sort of moviegoer that loves escapism, special effects and big budgets included. It’s the stage where movies can do what no other medium can, serving up spectacular eye candy, no deep thought or slow pace restraining the sheer entertainment value. Hardly without flaws, but also without a second of dullness, ‘2012’ is a genre film made for the fans of that genre, with skeptical outsiders likely to remain skeptical. It would have been a bit more enjoyable if some of the smaller characters could have lasted longer, though it also would have lost some of its much needed believability in the process. ‘2012’ certainly isn’t the perfect blend of storytelling and special effects as was Emmerich’s work on ‘Independence Day,’ but nonetheless he has delivered on the promise of astounding visuals and a popcorn plot sure to be eaten up by a good majority of moviegoers.
-----Oscar Watch: This one has a shot at a special effects nod, though the award would probably be better served by ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Watchmen,’ ‘District 9,’ or maybe even the upcoming ‘Avatar.’
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