Short Version: If you’re looking for some wicked-cool visuals and destruction on a scale that even Emmerich has never put on screen before, then 2012 is for you. Plot and character development? Move along, nothing to see here.
Screen Rant reviews 2012
That picture right there? That’s why you go see 2012. Heck, lately that’s why you go see any Roland Emmerich film – destruction on a massive scale. The man has taken what Irwin Allen used to do and multiplied it by 100.
2012 actually starts in 2009 – well first it starts out in space, showing us a few different shots of our solar system and the planets lining up all in a row, with the sun at the end of that line. When we get to good old Earth, we’re in India where geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor, the assassin from Serenity) is meeting a fellow scientist at the Institute of Astrophysics. They go 11,000 feet down into a copper mine where it seems they figure they may as well do some scientific research as long as they’re down there.
Anyway, they have tracked a series of the biggest solar flares in history taking place over the last week, and it seems that they’re putting out some different type of neutrino that instead of just passing through the earth is interacting with the core, causing it to heat up to temperatures far exceeding normal. At this point I’m thinking “OK, OK, that’s not bad, I can buy that.”
Helmsley travels to Washington D.C. where he convinces high ranking Washington muckity-muck Carl Anheuser (a very rotund Oliver Platt) the importance of what he’s found. We jump forward to 2010 where the president (Danny Glover – seriously) is addressing European heads of state about the impending end of the world. Another jump to 2011 where it becomes apparant that some sort of stealth operations are taking place to insure the safety of works of art, wealthy and powerful people and presumably other odds and ends.
In the meantime we meet Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), a divorced dad and not very successful author who drives a limo for a living. While his young daughter still has eyes only for daddy, his slightly older son is a much bigger fan of mom’s live-in boyfriend (kids live with mom and her boyfriend – nice move, mom). Taking the kids camping to Yellowstone, he runs into a cordoned off military area where significant changes are happening geologically. It’s here we meet Woody Harrelson as a quasi-nutjob/free-spirit who seems to know what’s going on and fills Jackson in, including the plans for the world’s elite to escape the destruction in spaceships. Of course Cusack doesn’t believe him and heads on his merry way.
It doesn’t take long however for a series of increasingly strong and frequent earthquakes (along with some other things) to convince Jackson that the crazy guy isn’t crazy after all, and he grabs the ex-wife, kids and new boyfriend just in the nick of time in the scene we’ve all watched in trailers and TV commercials.
From here on, all hell breaks out everywhere, and watching it all happen is the whole reason for going to see this movie.
Jackson is determined to save his family, and his journey to find one of these “arks” grows more implausible with every passing scene. Thankfully director Emmerich spreads the destruction out throughout the entire film – so if you’re concerned that you’ll have already seen the best stuff in the trailer, fear not… that was just a taste. I found it interesting that they showed a number of landmarks being destroyed including the Vatican and the famous statue of Christ on a Brazil mountaintop – but although they showed the Kabaa in one scene he did not portray its destruction. I’ve heard that he didn’t show it destroyed due to fear of retribution.
Anyway, the destruction throughout the film was quite well done – I especially liked the scene at Yellowstone… VERY impressive. And of course the expanded version of the destruction of California was well done (and strangely satisfying… I kid, I kid). The arks were quite cool as well, although the MacGuffin that caused the “suspense” at the end was quite ridiculous.
There’s a a fair amount of ridiculousness in 2012, but really, what does one expect going into a film like this? In the end I enjoyed the visual effects and Chiwetel Ejiofor, who I think has a real screen presence about him. Woody Harrelson? Brief appearance but memorable. John Cusack seemed to me like a fish out of water here – like he just really didn’t belong. Thandie Newton was little more than eye candy (although she was supposed to be more). Oh, and Danny Glover as the President of the United States? LOL funny – I think the poor guy left any acting ability he may have had down in Venezuela.
Towards the end of the film it really fell apart as Emmerich tried to inject some emotion into the film. A big contributing factor was the cheesy music in the emotional scene – the whole thing felt like it was out of a made for TV movie. It might have actually worked better had he not tried to “make” us FEEL the emotion via the cliche’d music and maybe trusted the actors to make it happen. If only he could figure out a way to make a film that didn’t require actual people (you know, other than the ones who need to die for the destruction to mean something).
So if you’re looking for much in the way of plot or character development, move along, nothing to see here. But if you’re looking for some wicked-cool visuals and destruction on a scale that even Emmerich has never put on screen before, then 2012 may be the movie for you.
Our Rating:
2.5 out of 5
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Maybe in the future Emmerich’s films should be rated for story and vfx.
For Vfx the 2012 should get a 5 out of 5.
For story 2012 should get a 1 out of 5.
@790
You think maybe Screenrant should develop the “Emmerich Score”, the separate score that movies can be judged by where only the VFX are taken in to account.
X-Men 3. Movie score, 2/5, Emmerich Score, 4.5/5!
790
how would u improve on the story since you can obviously do better with all the conspiracy theories we hear out of you? On second thought, nevermind I don’t want to know.
Yeah something like that. Seems a lot of people keep saying they don’t see Emmerich films for the story.
I think Vic should keep the reviews intact just provide 2 separate scales one for story and one of vfx. But only on effects driven films like 2012 or Avatar since that’s what’s coming up.
Maybe even a 3D rating on 3D heavy films?
Twilight. Movie score 2/5, Emmerich Score, 2/5
oh wait, there the same…
M-Cat, I think even you could have written a better script,,,
@ 790
Not debating about the A-hole nature of people who consider themselves above us commoners, jsut saying some one possibly Chiwetel should of decked him in the mouth when they were on the ARK.
@M-Cat
No worries.
@Joshi
That would have to be the Emmerich/Bay grading curve.
Vic
@SIN187UM
I’m not sure, but I think you are responding to a question that a commenter kidded about (“If this were really to happen, where would I go?” to which I replied, jokingly, “Africa”. I did not give out any specific location, because that was an extreme spoiler.
BTW, “Pangea” (where all the continents were once one huge single central land mass) never existed. That’s a myth that never held up to science, let alone the theory of evolution itself.
@Vic
Hah, Transformers 2 would have gotten a 6/5 for VFX. :p
I don’t usually listen to reviewers because they are mostly upity opera-esk types that really bore me. I always read Vic’s reviews because he is a regular Joe like myself and I usually agree with his assessments. While I didn’t totally agree this time, he did say if you are just looking for a visual effects bonanza, the movie is for you, and that’s why I saw it.
Done. And done.
Don’t let it bug ya Nowhereman,,,
I always liked your feedback Nowhereman,,,
The CGI was stunning, ignore the rest of the cheese and its an enjoyable ride.
Hands-down, the best popcorn action flick I’ve seen in years. In terms of visual power, right up there with Titanic and Jurassic Park. This movie is exactly what Hollywood does best! (And it was great to see Woody in it, too!)
what a pile of hollywood effluent
2012 sucked..sorry but its true. what a waste of money
ok so the CGI was cool, but other than what a total waste.
Spoilers ahead….
I thought this movie would have a liberal spin, and it
did. IN the arks when the heads of state were all deciding
whether or not to allow more people in, all the other heads
of state of course said let them in, and the guy who
represented the US (Prez stayed behind) was against it,
he was an ass the whole film( what a way to portray
an American who was in charge, while making Russia and pretty much all the rest look noble. LAME. And of course the PC LAME ASS ENDING, the rest of the world is pretty much
leveled right, well not good ol’ Africa.. LAME! To make a
short story short this FILM SUCKED. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
Saw it yesterday.I was trying to get ticket right from the first day,but succeeded only on the 8 th day.In bangalore its still running n packed houses.It may becom the highest grossing english film in India after titanic and jurassic park..he trend is so.Personally speaking,i don enjoy English films very much.But this one was simply superbbbbb…..
I will go once more…It sud we watched in theatres at all costs…Its a real real thrilling ride of adventure…Enjoyed it more than jurassic park,which i saw wen i was a child..
Film lovers all over the world shud not miss it…
OOPs! Wrong movie!!!! I watched 2012 Doomsday. Sorry for negative feedback, will get back to you on this one…..
Roland Emmerich is the Irwin Allen of today. He’s even inherited Irwin’s lack of character development.
this movie was WWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY over the top. Impossible circumstances that NO ONE could have survived left me feeling desensitized after the first few catastrophes.
If it were me or you in those situations we’d be dead. the movie was completely unrealistic.
This movie is one to go see only for special effects. And I admit, watching the end of the world on big screen is fun.
Woody Harrelson had a good bit role worth seeing.
Other than that, typical hollywood disaster movie that doesn’t have much to it.
Oh, and it was freaking 2 hours and 38 minutes long. A little much for a disaster movie.
It isnt hard to understand why this movie did so well
overseas, this movie is liberal trash. The blame
america first crowd must be dancing in the streets with
glee for this film, I mean its so obvious thats its pathetic
the heads of state for the rest of the world are all nice
and thinking of putting their people first not just the select few, while the guy who becomes in charge of America is just the opposite. This film is crap. Yeah cool CGI but
the rest is crap.
2012 banned in Indonesia..
darn..
It was a miserable rain soaked weekend, and after a long hard week, I just wanted to go see a film and enjoy myself! To be honest yeah I was looking for some kool effects and destruction on a grand scale! Thought the whole “we the leaders agree to open the gate” bit was bs and cheesey especially at that point, but then if they made the film too serious people would get depressed….
I thought 2012 did its job i’d give it a 3 out of 5
Does anybody really believe it’s going to end this way? I don’t think Hollywood could possibly have a grasp on what God is really going to do.
many “prophets” have seen it as well as the Aztecs. Humans have been crying the sky is falling since they could talk so it is likely that nothing will happen. the earth has done this many times over and it’s still here with life on it.
if anything i would like to see the human race wake up and be nice to each other.
“if anything i would like to see the human race wake up and be nice to each other”
Stop sacrificing poorer peoples to Moloch? Are you nuts? The GD of wrath will be upon us, the events in 2012 might actually happen. No no no no…definitely cannot stop causing necessary pain and suffering of other humans.
We’d be stuck with non-profit peace and traveling through space..THAT is plain crazyness.
THIS MOVIE WAS GOOD, but if done in 3D IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST 3D MOVIE EVER!!!!
hey dudes watch making of 2012 : http://www.dreamtuts.com/?p=562