2012

I remember in the summer of 1996 seeing the movie Independence Day for the first time. The special effects for that time were pretty original with a realistic blend of CGI and model effects. The iconic shot of the White House being blown apart was something that I hadn't seen before. It was a fun summer film that I went back to see at least four times in theaters.

I saw it again recently playing on cable and I marveled at how bad it is now. The effects still hold up, but the story, dialogue and acting are just pretty bad and forgettable. The movie certainly does not hold up for me all these years later. Whether it's my tastes have changed drastically, which they most definitely have, or just the quality of the film that I didn't see at the time, I'm not sure why but it's just a forgettable film.

That is the best way I can think of to describe Roland Emmerich's latest film 2012.

The plot is pretty thin and simple. The film takes advantage of the world's fear and obsession with the upcoming end of the world in 2012 as predicted by the Mayans. Whether it's from a solar flare or another cosmic event, global warming, or just the year where we all finally nuke each other and bring an end to mankind, 2012 is believed to be the year of armageddon. In the movie the environments quickly change and the core of the earth begins to melt causing the earths crust to move and shift, eventually bringing on lots of destruction. The world's governments have built a number of arcs to float in the rising waters when the end comes and to save and protect those wealthy enough to buy a seat on the ship so that they can save mankind.

Thus begins the journey of John Cusack and his family as they travel across the world and sneak on to the ship to be saved. That one sentence is the extent of the entire plot of the film. The rest is just filler material until the next action sequence where something else will blow up. Some of the dialogue and acting is pretty laughable, but the action scenes are well done. There is a nice blend of model and CGI work, just as in Independence Day. Using actual models helps create a sense of realism rather than the falseness that can be created in an all digital world and makes the action and effects more thrilling.

As thrilling as those effect are, they are truly unbelievable. I don't mind suspending disbelief for a film like this, but how many various natural disasters can one person avoid before finally being knocked off? Rising grounds, falling buildings, flaming boulders, ash storms, floods, you name it, they escape and survive it. As exciting as it is, it just became a bit too much after a while.

Despite it's many flaws, I must admit that I was actually entertained during the film. For what it is 2012 is a fun summer popcorn flick, just premiering in the wrong season. It's all fluff and no substance, but still fun for what it is. That fun won't lead to repeat viewings however, for like Independence Day this movie is quickly forgettable. If you are looking to check your mind at the door and just be entertained for a couple hours and not think at all, then this is the movie for you. Just remember to reattach your brain on the way out of the theater. Heaven forbid you would have to return for a repeat viewing.