2012 – Movie Review

Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover

Score: 6/10

Reviewed by pjowens75

What is it about Roland Emmerich? Why is he so much fun to hate? Maybe it’s because there has to be an Irwin Allen in every movie generation. Irwin Allen is best known for his disaster movies, TOWERING INFERNO and THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. And that’s what Roland Emmerich has become: this generation’s King of disaster flicks. I mean is there anyone out there who does the end of the world better than him? At least we know what to expect from one of his movies: great special effects, little logical story, and convenient forgettable characters. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we keep going back for the thrills, plain and simple. We want to sit back with our bag of popcorn and give our brains a rest for a couple of hours. And in 2012, we get what we paid for.

2012 is the ultimate disaster flick, based on several ancient civilizations predicting the end of the world, as we know it, on December 21, 2012. It seems that on that date, all the planets will line up, causing untold catastrophe. Well, at least according to the Mayans, anyway. Gotta hand it to those Mayans, they could see the writing on the wall. I mean, let’s face it, they got the hell outta Dodge a couple of thousand years ago. So what if they bugged out a little early? Better safe than sorry, I always say. And who better to show us exactly what catastrophes we’ll face than the King himself…the ultimate popcorn movie maker.

One of the things about Emmerich is that he always manages to get a couple of respectable actors in each of his films; actors of enough caliber that it leaves you scratching your head going “What the hell are they doing in here?” In this case it’s John Cusack as our hero, and Danny Glover as the President of the United States. But as you can guess, they are only there to add some dialog between each new earthquake, eruption, or tsunami. What story there is has Cusack trying to save his recently estranged wife and kids by stowing away on some gigantic secret ships the governments of the world have been building for just such an occasion. And that’s really all you need to know about the plot. Period. If you want a decent script, you’ve picked the wrong movie, dude.

Because 2012 is all about destruction, with one “can you top this” disaster after another. From cars trying to outrun the giant crack-in-the-earth appearing beneath the rear wheels in Los Angeles, to St. Peter’s Basilica collapsing and rolling over the thousands of faithful in Rome, to a giant tidal wave crashing over the Himalayas, be grateful you can watch all this on film because you sure wouldn’t want to be there in person. If you should make the mistake of actually stopping to think about some logic-defying event you’ve just seen, like how it only takes a couple of hours to drive the 1000 miles from LA to Yellowstone Park, don’t worry, something will come along shortly to numb that thought right out of your head.

Amidst all this hellfire and brimstone, there always seems to be one scene that makes you stop and go “wow”. In 1998’s GODZILLA, it was the scene of the submerged lizard chasing the poor fisherman up the dock. In 2012, it involves Glover, wearily looking up after the collapse of the Washington Monument. From over his shoulder, we see a faint object gradually materializing through the thick dust and smoke, eventually becoming recognizable as the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy being carried high up on a massive tsunami. Like I say, no one films destruction like Emmerich.

The problem is, where does he go from here? With each successive film, his disasters have gotten bigger and bigger. Now that he’s pretty much destroyed the Earth, what does he do next, take on the destruction of the entire solar system? I mean, what is there left to destroy? My hope is that he does something completely unexpected, perhaps a small, intimate character study. Because I’ve got to believe that he wants to be more than a “Johnny One Note”. Or maybe I’m wrong and he is perfectly happy making the movies that he does. Maybe he’s content to be the most expensive “popcorn maker” on earth.

Hollywood vs New York – Four Decades of New York City Destruction on film

This is just great four decades of celluloid New York annihilation distilled into one musical montage.

Plus a fantastic use of Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin.

Can you name all the films?

Make Your Own Disaster Movie

Independence Day 2 and 3?

This is another one of those newsy non-news kind of things. Roland Emmerich is pushing his new disaster movie 2012. However, when speaking to MTV he again mentioned a sequel to his alien invasion movie, Independence Day.

“What we want to do in the next – it’s actually two movies – we want to do a bigger arc,” he explained. “‘Independence Day’ was always like the king who leads his troops into battle against an evil force, and that stays like that.”

So the plan is not just one sequel but two. And Emmerich has got a nifty title in mind: “‘ID4-ever,’ Part I and II maybe?” he suggested.

There is no script but Will Smith is apparantly going to be involved “The idea is just to continue the story and actually I don’t know how many years ago this was—twelve, thirteen, fourteen years ago—and just continue where it ended.”

There you have it. Basically it is just being talked about.

However, thinking about it a sequel set all these years after could be pretty cool. How has society moved on after the invasion? Did we become one planet united or did it all fracture and go to crap again? How has the alien technology been used and adapted? Loads of potential there, but it could just end up with a bigger, meaner alien species heading to Earth.

The comic book, Resurrection, by Marc Guggenheim (WOLVERINE) and drawn by David Dumeer, goes along similar lines. That would make a great movie. You can read the first issue here.

I always looked on the aliens in the first one being on the run from another alien species and moving from planet to planet. That’s just me. ID4 was a bit hit and miss, although the audio book spin off with the aliens invading London with only Patrick Moore to stop them was cool.

What are your thoughts on a sequel? What should be in it? Should Bill Pullman still be President?

Preacher – Could John Cusack be Jesse Custer?

In a recent interview with io9 John Cusack got chatting about a film based on a comic that he wanted to be involved with.

“It’s a vampire and a killer, and they’re on the road, and it’s this really strange story,” said Cusack.

Now Preacher by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon features Jesse Custer (who would be the priest) and Cassidy (an Irish Vampire) along with Tulip, Arse-Face, John Wayne (Bruce Campbell should play him in the film), Herr Starr and too many other twisted characters to mention.

If you’ve read the comics you will know how good they are. However, I never really picture Cusack as either JC or Cassidy.

Asked whether it Preacher he was thinking of, Cusack said, “I think it might have been ‘Preacher,’” and added that he was “trying to” get involved with the long-in-development project.

The actor, who’s appearing in theaters next weekend in the disaster flick “2012,” said he’s most interested one of the two leads, “either the vampire or the priest.”

“One of those two guys,” he said.

Last I heard about the Preacher film was that Sam Mendes was down to direct it but they were waiting for a workable script – like many others I wish it would be a series on HBO to get the full story.

Mind you maybe he is thinking of Priest which also involves priests and vampires, but that’s already started filming with Paul Bettany in the lead.

Do you think John Cusack was talking about Preacher? Would he be good in either of the roles? If not him then who would?

Now if they could get Clint Eastwood involved as the Saint of Killers.

Raising 2012 – Raising Arizona improves everything

This is without doubt one of the best mashups I have seen and really lifts 2012.

I must watch Raising Arizona again.

Source: Film Drunk

2012 Collapse Mashup

2012 is the new Disaster Porn from Roland Emmerich starring John Cusack. Collapse is a documentary by Chris Smith about how our society is going to fall apart (more here).

Put them together and what do you get? Bibbety Bobbity Boo

2012 – What the actors look like without the CGI

You have probably seen the trailers for Roland Emmerich’s next piece of disaster porn. Cities being destroyed, tsunami, earthquakes, you name it the CG boys have been busy.

However, Film Drunk came across this piece of film which shows the actors acting mighty before the CG is put in place.

2012 – Five Minute Clip

A five minute clip for 2012 that Columbia Pictures aired to the largest American media roadblock ever on the major broadcast networks, local stations in the top 70 markets, and nearly 450 television stations in North America.

2012 is due out on 13th November 2009

more about "2012 – Five Minute Clip", posted with vodpod

2012 – New poster for Roland Emmerich’s disaster film

Not sure if that “We Were Warned” tagline is talking about the end of the World or the film itself!