2012 dir. by Roland Emmerich
An epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.
I know what you are thinking, this isn't a horror movie! I agree, but it is a horror in filmmaking, so I am going to talk about it. While Roland Emmerich is not one of my favorite directors, he has had some movies that I thoroughly enjoyed such as: Universal Soldier, Stargate, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and The Patriot. There comes times with his movies where the often feel over the top, and not in a good way like in 10,000 BC and Godzilla. Unfortunately 2012 follows right in those footsteps with it's sometimes cheesy circumstances and disastrous use of the green screen. Some of the stuff just doesn't seem realistic, and the situations the characters get put in over an over always just barely escaping death got almost annoying. The film had a run time of an hour longer than it should have using more landscape shots than Superman Returns. It may be the asshole in me, but I found it more mildly amusing watching CG people plummet to their doom rather than have any feelings for any of them. This truly was a mistake of a film, and I'm glad I didn't pay to watch it.
The acting on the film was absolutely horrible. The leads, played by John Cusack and Amanda Peet, were horrible. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Oliver Platt gave exceptional performances that stand out in the film, although not strong enough to hold the film up. I was happy to see the amazing Stephen McHattie in an extremely small, unimportant role. Everyone else in the movies is pretty much annoying beyond all comprehension. The film fails to uphold any of it's side plots, which were the foundation to the film. There are just too many characters, and it makes it hard to focus on just a few, so I don't care about any of them. The whole giant Noah's Ark aspect was unique, but I feel like it was played out poorly. I could recommend this for a one time viewing, but it might not even be worth that. Mildly entertaining end of the world shenanigans.
Entertainment Value: 4/10 Tsunami Waves
Cinematic Value: 5/10 Tsunami Waves
2 comments:
I actually like this one, for what it is, and for what it isn't. It's a kind of "turn off your brain and just did the FX" kind of flick, IMO. Like you, I dug the Noah's ark thing(and Cusack's son being named Noah wasn't lost on me). I didn't like the fact that once Gordon, Kate's boyfriend who she professed to love and who wanted to start a family with her, is killed (and a gruesome painful death at that in the ark's gears) Kate readily ran right back into Jackson's arms...kinda harsh there Kate. And the prez's daughter, Laura, sure pulled herself together when her dad stayed behind, she didn't seem upset at all when she lost her pop to a giant tsunami in D.C., just a moment of sadness when she said goodbye to him on the phone...a real person would be hysterical with grief, confusion and fear in that situation...I know I would.
I kinda liked the social commentary of the places in the arks being sold to the very rich to fund the whole program...yup, that sounds like government to me. It was so "Let them eat cake", and we know what became of Marie.
I like it because I'm a sucker for disaster flicks, but 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Dante's Peak, and many of the more "modern" disaster flicks don't hold a candle to The Posiden Adventure, The Towering Inferno, St. Helen's, or even 74's Earthquake when it comes to this genre.
Great review!
Dreaded Dreams
Petunia Scareum
This movie was weak. The plot wholes were obscene. At the end, there was no nuclear winter which would inevitably happen with all that ash from the volcano eruptions. I give it a 4/10...Im giving a 4 because at least I didn't have to think.
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