‘2012‘ – “Scene Selection” Review by Alex Kartman
for MovieSet.com
Disaster films are pretty sketchy when it comes to quality. They usually have bad B-movie acting, over the top special effects, and impossible plotlines. Usually they are reserved for the summer blockbuster season as well, a time when every kid on the continent shuts off his or her brain. Last week, the master, if you can even call him that, of disaster, Roland Emmerich (the man behind “Independence Day” and “The Day After Tomorrow”) unleashed his ultimate destruction that is “2012.”
Whereas Emmerich has established himself as the man that destroys beloved landmarks (i.e. Statue of Liberty and the White House) he always was reserved when it came to the annihilation of mankind. The alien ship gets destroyed before the race is wiped out, and we now know there is escape from the cooling effects of global warming.
Finally he has thrown any inhibition aside and actually has taken all hope from the majority humanity. The film is brutal in its display of this, but hope exists for the select few. Finally we have a somewhat fearless filmmaker not afraid to kill everyone.
Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) and Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson) in Columbia Pictures' 2012
Ok, sarcasm aside, “2012” is simply a journey movie, spurred on by the onset of the apocalypse. John Cusack plays Jackson Curtis, a failed author and father, as a man simply trying to stay connected to the last bit of his family life he has. His wife (played by Amanda Peet) has divorced and remarried a doctor. His kids distance themselves from him to a point, with his son basically disowning him. So much for a happy setup. Anyhow, apparently the world is ending, due to a heating up of the core. It’s been happening for a few years, but on the year that the Mayan’s predicted the earth to end, lets just say, *stuff* will hit the fan. The rest of the movie is Cusack running away from one disaster after another.
I never said that Emmerich builds films upon substance. The whole 2012 apocalypse myth is built upon the Mayan calendar, which ends on Dec. 21 of that year. Last time I checked they met their apocalypse quite a bit sooner (a little dark comedy never hurt anyone). The plot here is also utterly inconceivable and completely improbably. Cusack runs from every single catastrophe that hits America during the apocalypse. Coincidence? I vote for the poor screenwriting tactic of piling one climax on top of another until the film becomes two and a half hours long. Yes that’s right; this is an epic scale movie in every sense of the term (except for the whole poetry part). I probably should stop bashing the film, because I’m beginning to like it less and less the more I continue.
Director Roland Emmerich on the set of Columbia Pictures' 2012.
I enjoyed myself watching “2012.” It is a good escape movie for some gorgeous special effects and explosions. It even beats “Transformers 2” in that category. Some of the camera work here is top notch as well, even without the aid of computer graphics. Beyond that, the special effects look impressive. When the earth blows up, I believe that the earth is blowing up.
Danny Glover stars as President Thomas Wilson in Columbia Pictures' 2012
To the acting, I have to say it isn’t terrible. The person I came to my breaking point watching was the new husband of Peet’s character and Oliver Plath. Plath should never be allowed to be unlikeable, and here he was beyond unlikeable. I guess he fulfilled the role to that point because he is supposed to be the emotionless logical leader. The supporting roles all deserve a bravo as well. Danny Glover plays the President. I can’t even back that up because that is awesome enough.
Woody Harrelson stars as Charlie Frostin in Columbia Pictures' 2012.
The man who stole the show for me was Woody Harrelson. His trip through “Zombieland” last month was a hoot, and here he plays a conspiracy freak radio broadcaster, preaching the apocalyptic cover-up. Hilarious. The acting does seem terrible at times because of the sham of an edit that was cut during action scenes. One shot will feature incredible CG destruction spliced with a screaming reaction close up of a character. Copy + Paste for the duration of the scene, and you get a very laughable final edit of the epic scenes.
Overall, “2012” is a pure popcorn cinema piece. Don’t expect to suddenly become enlightened with a way to accept the apocalypse, but simply enjoy yourself. Why else go to the theaters if you can’t sit back and enjoy the experience?
Grade: B-
More 2012 – Behind the Scenes video
Ever wonder what it would look like to shoot a car off of a giant potato gun?
More ‘2012′ Videos
2012 Clip – It’s not just California Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) narrowly saves the lives of his family in time to escape before California’s destruction.
2012 – Behind the Scenes Ever wonder what it would look like to shoot a car off of a giant potato gun?
2012 – Behind the Scenes Go behind the scenes of 2012 to watch the cast and crew hard at work.
2012 Clip – The end of the world my friend Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) seeks out Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson) for information about the end of the world.
‘2012′ News
Loading ...
3 Comments
My friend was 2012 a couple days ago and said it was great. I’m always a bit unsure of John Cusak – he’s a bit inconsistent. And the fact that his characters name is 50 Cent’s real name backwards is hilarious.
Reply
I didn’t know Woody Harrelson was in the movie, makes me want to see it more after watching Zombieland.
Reply
I love that movie! Reminds you to enjoy life…. while it lasts :)
Reply