deanbarry
"The epic disaster flick is back in the form of 2012"
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Grab a melting pot, stir in some Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, The Posidon Adventure, Titanic and a little Dante's Peak for good measure...and what have you got?
+4
2012 simmering your eyeballs.
BOOM!!!
Roland Emmerich is back on the big screen throwing more stuff around than toddlers at a daycare center juiced on too much red cordial.
This guy knows how to deliever a big, bad ass, destruct-o-rama, let me tell you.
If you enjoyed his previous works, StarGate, Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow, then chances are, you are going to love this one.
As it's more of the same on a much grander scale. He is improving with every film he makes.
Granted, his stories are not known for marvellous character developement or wonderfully engaging plots.
But he's getting better.
The character moments are more realistic and the sentiment, which he can overuse, is held in check. Sugery yes, but not enough to make you groan and make a dental appointment as soon as you leave the cineplex.
So when you come to his flicks, what you gonna get? GIGANTIC scale productions of epic destruction, that's what.
And man, does he do it well.
From massive alien motherships conquering earth with beams of fire to a Godzilla clone (it wasn't the real Gojira, let's leave it at that) chasing Ferris Bueller around New York to freezing half of the Northern Hemisphere to death, he's finally decided...let's just destroy the entire planet.
And he does it with style.
Starring a personal fave of mine, John Cusack, who re-teams with Identity costar Amanda Peet, are supported by a talented bunch of thespians such as Danny Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton and the wonderful Woody Harrelson.
And they were surrounded by some of the best, cutting edge special effects to date.
Some epic destruction to be had here.
The scope of human loss in this is not to be understated either. In a world scarred by 9/11, we as a human race are a changed beast and know not to take the destruction of cities and buildings lightly.
When things are destroyed here, you see people clinging on for dear life. It was pretty heart breaking and harrowing seeing a face on all the destruction.
It made it a little more than a hollow special effect without being gratuitous or offensive.
I don't want to read too much into it, but it was poignant for me.
This movie was a great load of fun and is meant to be seen on the bigscreen. It is a long one, clocking in at just over 2 and half hours (my bladder was busting at the half way point, but I dare not leave for fear of missing some amazing spectacle-CURSE YOU 1Lt COKE).
It is first and foremost a popcorn flick.
An entertaining, colourful, loud, explosive, rollercoaster of a popcorn flick.
BOOM!!!
Cheers
:)
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More 2012 (movie) reviews
Let me just start by saying that this is why i love Lunch. I've noticed that this film received some very favorable ratings but i personally didn't like this movie at all. My disagreement with everyone on this movie, doesn't mean i'm right or wrong... just different opions. This film is featured on my PayPerView so this weekend we decided to watch it. In my opinion it was so bad that half way through it was wondering if there is a whole new genre of films … more
Comments (13)
Compliments (73)
review by Savvygirl.
April 06, 2010
I happen to enjoy "bad" movies. The types of movies with over sized anacondas or crocodiles; the movies that leave me amused at the hilarity of the Hollywood industry. Thus I was interested in seeing 2012 (mainly because I actually did enjoy "The Day After Tomorrow"). I am also pretty fascinated by any movie that aims at explaining mysterious and mythological events (IE. Mayans "predicting" the end of the world in 2012). 2012 not only ruined … more
Comments (7)
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review by Ukedude.
November 22, 2009
You don't have to believe in UFOs to enjoy watching CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. You don't have to believe in the whole global warming package to enjoy watching THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. You certainly don't have to believe all the hype about 2012 to enjoy this movie. IMHO, this is the best disaster movie I've seen in a really long time. The characters are more than just cardboard, the dialog is decent, the special effects are incredible and the overall concept is very … more
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Compliments (43)
review by Steveo.
April 06, 2010
There have been a few comments in reviews about this movie being a simple popcorn flick and how, should you detach your brain for 3 hours you will manage to enjoy this monstrosity. Simply, that is not true, unless you're actually willing to run the risk of you being made more of an idiot by watching this movie and thinking "hmm, that was an enjoyable romp". Perhaps I did look too much into this movie and wanted it to have a good storyline that would at least captivate me without having … more
Comments (2)
Compliments (24)
review by sniffcode.
November 16, 2009
I had an interesting pre-cursor while going in to see 2012. I was with a small group of three, and I handed my tickets to the doorman, who, after ripping them and handing me back the stubs, said: "Enjoy the graphics, this isn't the kind of movie you go and see for the dialogue." My friends and I looked at each other and laughed. We were also a bit worried. Did we just drop about $15 bucks each to watch another disaster movie with vacant plot and characters? Are we foolish … more
Comments (2)
Compliments (29)
review by Lopez15.
November 19, 2009
In Stargate(1994) he took us to a whole other world, In Independence Day(1996) He Invaded the planet like no ones done before, In The Patriot(2000) He showed us the trials and tribulations of The Americans in there fight for freedom and In The Day After Tomorrow he gave us a glimpse of what Global Warming can do to our planet. It's 2009 and Roland Emmerich has created his disaster film masterpiece and that film is called, … more
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Compliments (20)
Quick Tip by jolson.
May 25, 2010
Unintended comedy of the year. Save cash and wait for it on TNT.
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Quick Tip by dcgrrl.
April 13, 2010
Not good enough to be good, and not bad enough to be bad. Save your money and spend your time doing something else.
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review by KonaCat.
November 26, 2009
When Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) went to take his kids on a camping trip, little did he know that the world as he knew t was about to end. It seems top scientists and world leaders have known for years what the Mayans knew - that the earth would be destroyed by earthquakes and tsunamis in 2012 - and only a few people would be saved aboard giant arks being built in China. Jackson, being a resourceful (and preternaturally lucky) guy, rushes his family to China with no time to spare. … more
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review by newtonooi.
March 15, 2010
In the long line of disaster movies made by Hollywood in general, and Roland Emmerich in particular, two things remain common. First, the special effects get better with each successive movie. Second, the scientific plausibility of the disaster remains the same, and that is minimal. 2012 came out in 2009 and is about the unraveling of a natural disaster triggered by changes in the Sun's solar flares. The earth's crust supposedly heats up and liquefies, which causes massive earthquakes and volcanoes … more
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About the reviewer
deanbarry
I'm a bit of a movie buff. Ok, understatement. I LOVE movies. Will sit through just about everything. Classics, horror, comedy, action, drama, chick flicks (to a degree). If it's filmed, I'll watch it. … more
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About this movie
2012 is a 2009 disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich. The film has an ensemble cast, including John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Woody Harrelson. The film will be distributed by Columbia Pictures. Filming began in August 2008 in Vancouver. The film was released on November 11, 2009.
Now this is how you destroy the world. Roland Emmerich's2012pounces on a Nostradamus-style loophole in the Mayan calendar and rams the apocalypse through it, gleefully conjuring up an enormous amount of Saturday-matinee fun in the process. A scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) detects shifting continental plates and sun flares and realizes that this foretells the imminent destruction of the planet. Just as the molten lava is about to hit the fan, a novelist (John Cusack) takes his kids on a trip to Yellowstone; later he'll hook up with his ex (Amanda Peet) and her new boyfriend (Tom McCarthy) in a global journey toward safety. If there is any safety. The suitably hair-raising plot lines are punctuated--frequently, people, frequently--by visions of mayhem around the globe: the Vatican falls over, the White House is clobbered (Emmerich'sIndependence Daywas not enough on that score), and the California coastline dives into the Pacific Ocean. Unlike other action directors we could name, Emmerich actually understands how to let you see and drink in these vast special-effects vistas--and they are incredible. He also honors the old Irwin...
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Now this is how you destroy the world. Roland Emmerich's2012pounces on a Nostradamus-style loophole in the Mayan calendar and rams the apocalypse through it, gleefully conjuring up an enormous amount of Saturday-matinee fun in the process. A scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) detects shifting continental plates and sun flares and realizes that this foretells the imminent destruction of the planet. Just as the molten lava is about to hit the fan, a novelist (John Cusack) takes his kids on a trip to Yellowstone; later he'll hook up with his ex (Amanda Peet) and her new boyfriend (Tom McCarthy) in a global journey toward safety. If there is any safety. The suitably hair-raising plot lines are punctuated--frequently, people, frequently--by visions of mayhem around the globe: the Vatican falls over, the White House is clobbered (Emmerich'sIndependence Daywas not enough on that score), and the California coastline dives into the Pacific Ocean. Unlike other action directors we could name, Emmerich actually understands how to let you see and drink in these vast special-effects vistas--and they are incredible. He also honors the old Irwin...
Cast:
John Cusack,
Woody Harrelson,
Chiwetel Ejiofor,
Danny Glover,
Amanda Peet,
Thomas McCarthy,
Thandie Newton
Director:
Roland Emmerich
Genre:
Action,
Adventure
Release Date:
13 November 2009 (USA)
MPAA Rating:
PG-13
Screen Writer:
Roland Emmerich,
Harald Kloser
Runtime:
158 minutes
Studio:
Columbia Pictures,
Centropolis Entertainment,
Farewell Productions
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By the way, in regards to this movie being long, I think you'll appreciate @dalydose's review of RunPee ;)