2012
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Columbia Pictures, 2009
By Sean Kelly
Have you heard? Apparently the calendar for the long-extinct Mayan civilization is supposed to end on December 21, 2012. Of course, this just has to mean that this is when the world is supposed to end. There are, like, millions of books on the subject that give reasons ranging from polar-reversing solar flares to Planet X crashing into the Earth. If there are books on it, then it must be true, right?
It seems that every decade or two, conspiracy theorists come up with a new cause of the apocalypse (it was only a decade ago when we feared Y2K). While it can hoped that this is all just crazed speculation, it does give disaster film master Roland Emmerich perfect material for his magnum opus.
Emmerich has found a niche in blowing up the world in different ways, whether it is by alien invaders (Independence Day), mutated lizards (Godzilla), or the environment (The Day After Tomorrow). Of those three, I would say that 2012 is probably stylistically the most similar to The Day After Tomorrow, except on a much larger scale — as can be guessed by the film’s 158-minute running time.
The film follows science fiction writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), who learns from a crazed conspiracy theorist (a scene-stealing Woody Harrelson) about the pending apocalypse and the government’s secret plan to use a fleet of ships to ensure the continuity of the human race and culture (tickets available to the highest bidder). Curtis believes the story to be crazy until a giant earthquake demolishes Los Angeles as he races along his ex-wife (Amanda Peet), her boyfriend, and kids to find the ships before it’s too late. The film also follows the simultaneous story of the scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who discovered the world-ending solar activity and how he is increasingly at odds with his boss (Oliver Platt) over the moral aspects of the government’s plan.
Watching many of the Earth’s landmarks destroyed in great detail (including the Vatican), it can be hard to know whether I should be shocked or in awe of all this destruction. However, I do have to say that there was great glee in seeing John Cusack survive a drive through LA while everything is crumbling around him. The whole point of a disaster film is that you see the world fall apart, yet you know that the main characters — everyone you care about — are probably going to make it through.
All and all, I can say that 2012 succeeds at being thrilling entertainment. If you are all about seeing the whole world get blown up real good, this is the film to see. Let’s just be happy that, despite the doomsday book and film market, this will likely remain in the realm of fiction.
Am I the only one who thinks it strange they named Cusack’s character Jackson Curtis, which is Curtis Jackson (50 Cent) flipped?
Don’t be hatin’. Lloyd Dobbler is AN O.G.!!
Anyhoo, I more or less agree with this review…it’s pure eye candy. Fun with no substance.
@Leo: I totally realized that even before you said it. Great minds… John Cusack is like the opposite of 50 cent.
Those mayans can’t have been that great at seeing the future if they couldn’t predict their own demise 500 years ahead of schedule.