2012 (2009)

Based on the Mayan theory that the world will end on December 21st, 2012 (12 + 21 = 23 ha!!), 2012 is basically about the end of the world brought on by the sun's weird neutrino activity causing the earth's tectonic plates and everything cracking and sinking and magma-ing and obligatory tsunamis. Oh, and John Cusack.

But I liked it.

I've heard people say they didn't like the movie because it was unrealistic, that ONE FAMILY can survive ALL ODDS to reach the arks and is STILL able to get on it without being stampeded on / pushed over by all those rich people.

[Many say that they preferred The Day After Tomorrow. Personally, I can't remember anything about that movie, only that Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal were in it, and that at one point, Gyllenhaal was running from ice.]

Sure it's unrealistic, but honestly, do people want Cusack and Fam to get it? Where would we be if we didn't have the underdog to root for? Chiwetel Ejiofor's character is a good person in general, but as he already has a ticket to board the ark, it'd be a pretty straightforward and VERY short movie if he was the focus. And really, it'd be an awful downer (though realistic *sarcasm) if the final scene in the movie is a view from space of Earth and all we see is water and some burning magma, and the random tiny bit of land.

I'd say you could blame it on the fact that it was intended as a summer movie (July '09 release). Now, unless you're Transformers, you can't just go around bumping off your main character in a summer movie.

And many reviews have stated that with the amount of characters in the two-hour movie (as in, quite a bit), the audience stops caring about the characters, since there isn't enough time vested for us to get to know each one that isn't an extra and/or CGI.

But I beg to differ.

Though we get fleeting moments of the other characters, I still felt sorry all those who went under, especially George Segal, who didn't manage to make peace with his son in time. However, I'm most pissed that Tamara (the Russian girl) died, and that everyone conveniently totally forgot about it!! I mean, they didn't even talk about her in the end, even though she saved Cusack's daughter in place of her own. Gordon shouldn't have died, either. I blame the script for Amanda Peet's non-caring, but the biggest flaw of the movie was the lack of mention on Tamara's death. It'd also be pretty cool if Woody Harrelson had survived Yellowstone (and everything else), and became the first radio host to broadcast to the survivors.

[Honourable mention goes to the Russian mob dude's two little Dan Foglers. They are SO ADORABLE!!]

Also, Oliver Platt seems to be getting typecast as Person Of Questionable Morals #1.

In terms of disaster movies, this is the Ultimate Disaster Movie, unless someone makes a movie solely about the effects of a Death Star blast on Earth (probably would be an hour-long). There is simply no running from the devastation wrought in this film (unless you're Cusack or blood-related to the guy or his ex-wife), and I thought the CGI was pretty good.

As for that lousy last line, technically the last word in is, "Nice," which really isn't a bad word in itself.

7/10. Lighten up, people. Escapism doesn't have to be realistic.

If the end of the world DOES happen in 2012... I hope it doesn't happen before May 5th :)