2012 chomps 2 Red Vines for being a huge letdown.
The End of the world-as we know it. I have a friend who’s very sensitive about his birthday. It’s so close to Christmas that he totally turns into a 4 year old having a tantrum when he gets birthday gifts wrapped in holiday paper. Having received more than my fair share of Valentines’ Day cards with ‘Happy Birthday Too!’ scribbled at the bottom, I know how he feels but I’d like to think I’m a little more mature about it. Needless to say, several years ago when I found out about the Mayan calendar running out on December 21st-lord help us all, his birth date, I knew 2012 was going to be ugly. I’m not looking forward to it. I was however looking forward to seeing the movie “2012” very much. Who knew it was going to turn out so ugly, too?!
Writer/Director Roland Emmerich made one of my favorite movies, “Independence Day” but in an interview he promised something much more and very different from his other disaster filled movies. I took him at his word. Plus the previews looked fantastic. He lied and I could not have been more wrong.
“2012” is so much like “Independence Day” it could have been produced using the same old script. The strong sensitive President that was Bill Pullman is now Danny Glover. John Cusack plays Will Smith’s ‘every man’ trying to sort it all out and save his family, Woody Harrelson plays Randy Quaid’s whacked out ‘believer’…..you get the picture. Problem is and I mean no offense to this otherwise fine cast, they ain’t Pullman, Smith,
Or Quaid. And “2012” is about as far from “Independence Day” in quality and suspense in every way possible.
Emotional scenes come across heavy handed and orchestrated. The special effects which start out fantastic get progressively cheesier. Most heartbreaking, the action is embarrassingly predictable.
And looong. This movie would be way too long for this crap if it were 2 hours. It is 2&1/2 hours! Ugh! The world just can’t end fast enough!
If you feel compelled to see this movie, you will enjoy the special effects during the first half of the movie. In my opinion that’s worth about 5 bucks, so by all means see it, but only at AMC on the weekend before noon.
Movie Ladies Room Lowdown: My companion for this movie was my friend whose birthday is on Dec. 21st. He already thinks the predicted end of civilization is all about him. Please keep me in your thoughts on that day. It’s going to be ugly.
Related 2012 movie links:
> 2012 official website
> IMDB: 2012
