2012 REVIEW

The director who brought you a giant lizard trampling around New York and a giant Tsunami complimented with an ice storm is back and this time it really is the end of the world.
Roland Emmerich’s 2012 opens from this Friday. The world is ending as predicted by the Mayans and December 21st is the day its all coming to an end for mankind. And it’s nothing to do with asteroids, ice storms or giant lizards. The world is going to cook itself from the inside out and essentially the cement that hold’s all the tectonic plates together will weaken thus causing a huge shift of the continents. So Volcano’s and earthquakes abound in 2012. But all is not lost, as usual. Gigantic arks are being constructed in China as the world unites and attempts to survive. Well as long as your a head of state or have a billion euro per person in your family, then your more than welcome on board.

Cusack on his morning run

John Cusack plays Jackson Curtis who is a limo driver and of course he has an estranged family who seem to love their step dad more than their real dad. As thing’s kick off and California starts the cooking process, Curtis turns up to the family home in a limo and they all drive off as the whole neighbourhood falls into the fiery pits of hell or something. This is the first major set piece in the movie and it is absolutely breathtaking. You will cling to the edge of your seat, disbelieving that a Limo driver can drive a huge stretch limo through collapsing skyscrapers and so on. You will continue your disbelief as the step dad who only has a few flying lesson’s, manages to take off from an airport that is imploding on itself. All unbelievable and ridiculous, but maybe they are just a lucky bunch. Besides the luck and limo stunt driving, this is still an incredible scene with tonnes of detail going on. Either way Cusack and co plough through another few set pieces involving volcano’s and Russian cargo planes as they attempt to stay alive and try and get to China.

Drinks and snacks are now being served

Emmerich’s movies are not really known for the quality of acting, and its surprising to see John Cusack in a movie of this style. What’s even more surprising is that Cusack dials in his performance…from the moon. The only notable performances are from Chiwetel Ejifor (American Gangster) who plays one of the big wig scientist folks and Woody Harrelson plays a bonkers radio host quiet convincingly. Danny Glover keeps his head above water in a barely adequate performance as the president. Then again, this type of movie isn’t about quality of acting. Its about bangs for bucks and gigantic set pieces, and on that front it does deliver, once it finally gets going.

If you look out of your window you will see some of the rougher parts of L.A.

2012 clocks in at over 150 minutes and takes the bare bones of nearly 45 minutes for the end of the world to begin. If they dumped some of the ridiculous subplots they could have shaved nearly an hour off the running time. Even if they placed some of the sub plots with more global destruction, that might have lifted it some what. So putting that to one side and a plot that makes little sense, you are left with a movie that's really a showcase for the gargantuan power of CGI. And when Tsunami’s and Volcano's are wiping the place out, 2012 does indeed entertain and keep you on the edge of your seat. But that's about it. You just then wait around for the next set piece and repeat. And to be honest, the majority of the set pieces are shown in the many clips and trailers online. If you can leave your brain in the car, then you will just about enjoy 2012.