Movie Review - 2012

Review of Movie 2012 - WARNING - May contain spoiler information -

I saw the 2012 movie on opening day and I wasn't disappointed. However, I went to it expecting exactly what it was; an action adventure film set in the "end of the world" genre of films. I didn't go expecting to see Oscar winning performances or an incredibly stellar storylines. I went expecting Roland Emmerich to put out another disaster film - and boy did he.

This movie was the epitome of disaster films. It reaches the apex of that genre. I really don't see how anyone can top this film when it comes to the end of the world and/or disaster genre. It delivers with panache, style and incredible special effects. Though practically the entire movie is CGI driven, there was not one place in the entire film where I could point to the screen and say, "Oh, that's CGI." Visually it was a feast; you see every dollar spent on the screen. If I was the producer I'd be pretty happy with the way Emmerich spent his money. I saw it in a digital projector theater, which is very unforgiving for mistakes, and was stunned at the clarity and quality of the effects. The soundtrack meshed well with the film and enhanced the disaster sequences (which is almost the entire film from beginning to end).

I expected it to crawl in a few places, but it didn't. Almost from the beginning of the film to the very end, you are gripping your seat with tension and expectation. A very suspenseful and driven film, it takes you on a wild, white water adventure that feels at times as though you are experiencing a fantastic Universal Studios ride. Well worth the price of admission for that alone, the film also mostly delivers in the story and acting department as well. While no Oscar winning performances are given, I enjoyed Danny Glover as the President and several other actors performances as well including Woody Harrelson as an delightfully kooky conspiracy theorist so in love with his own theories of conspiracy and destruction that you can practically see him orgasming with ecstasy as his predictions of destruction begin to come true. For me, Woody Harrelson is a dish best served in small doses, and this was the perfect dose. Overall, the quality of the story and acting didn't diminish until the very end of the movie, and I'd say it made it 80% of the way to being a really good film that way. Unfortunately at the end Mr. Emmerich fell prey to the urge to put in some very sappy feel-good scenes that ruined the overall quality of the film. In particular there is a sequence of a woman (Beatrice Rosen playing a Russian beauty; certainly no stretch for the beautiful Ms. Rosen) saving her little dog in a forced looking cliff hanger situation. Unfortunately it is scenes such as these, which mercifully don't occur until the last 15 minutes of the film, that ruined my overall assessment of the film as a good piece of cinema. I'm not complaining however as I feel I got my moneys worth in the film before these sequences take place.

In fact, if I had one complaint about the film, it would be this; why did they use John Cusack in the starring role? In all honesty, Mr. Cusacks talent was wasted in this film. You don't get enough of his personality for him to have any of what I call those, "Cusack moments" that are so memorable and you get tastes of in films such as High Fidelity and Grosse Pointe Blank. Not that Cusack didn't perform well, he did; the role just felt like you could have plugged any action adventure hero into that spot with just as successful a result. However, with that said, you do get very minuscule doses of Mr. Cusacks talent in short scenes he has with Woody Harrelson and a handful of other places in the film, so not all is lost.

Overall I'd give the film a B- but as a genre film I'd have to give the film an A+. I think it's worth the price of a theater ticket. In all honesty, don't wait for this on DVD - It just won't have the same impact without seeing it on the big screen.