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Archived Movie Reviews

2012

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Reel Rating: 3 out of 5 Reels
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language
Released in Theaters: Nov. 13, 2009
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 158 minutes
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Cast: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Tom McCarthy, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liam James, Morgan Lily

SYNOPSIS: It’s the end of the world! Run for your lives! That’s just what John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and several other humans do when the earth’s core starts to destabilize, causing earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions around the globe.

Sex/Nudity: References to a plastic surgeon who does breast implants. Gordon and Kate discuss “making a baby.” Kate and Jackson kiss.

Violence/Gore: Not a lot of close-up blood and gore, but plenty of mass anonymous deaths due to tsunamis, earthquakes and other disasters. Two children watch as their father falls to his death and another character is sucked into some machinery. A mass suicide is mentioned on a news report.

Profanity: Includes a few uses of “sh*t,” “damn,” “ass,” “hell,” “goddamn,” and one “f*ck.”

Which Kids Will Like It? Kids 13 and older who like disaster flicks and aren’t bothered by intense scenes of peril.

Will Parents Like It?  Despite the depressing, end-of-the-world theme, this movie is actually sort of family oriented, in that the central family learns to work together and realize how important they are to each other.

REVIEW: If you’re not familiar with the theories surrounding the year 2012, there are a lot of them, ranging from the Apocalypse, the return of the aliens, a comet colliding with the earth, sunspots, and other various cataclysmic events.

But some also say the year will signal a spiritual awakening, so maybe it’s not all bad. Check out Armageddon Online for more theories.

In the movie “2012,” the focus is on a series of catastrophic natural disasters that center on a shift and destabilization of the earth’s core. Thus we’ve got earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and just about every other sort of disaster you can think of.

The central character is Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), an author who’s written a book about Atlantis but works as a driver for a Russian diplomat, Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buric). Now divorced, Jackson is disconnected from his two kids (Liam James and Morgan Lily), and decides to take them on a camping trip to Yellowstone. Meanwhile, his ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet) and her new husband Gordon (Tom McCarthy) stay behind in their happy suburban home.

But, of course, things start coming apart. California starts experiencing little earthquakes, and Jackson and the kids see some odd happenings during their Yellowstone camping trip, too. They also meet a crazy mountain man, Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson, who’s perfectly cast in that role), who broadcasts a radio show, warning everyone that the end is near.

Meanwhile, the politicians are gearing up in Washington, D.C. and around the globe, including U.S. President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover), his daughter Laura (Thandie Newton), and a geologist, Adrian (Chiwetel Ejiofor). They’re aware of the earth shifts and have a plan of their own. When Jackson catches wind of the plan from Charlie, he does everything in his power to get his family — including Gordon — to safety.

A lot of the dialogue in this movie is downright corny, but the special effects make up for it. You have to just sit back and enjoy the disaster ride that includes giant cracks that open up in the earth and threaten to swallow whole stores, skyscrapers toppling into each other, massive pieces of land sliding into the earth (cities and all), and sweeping tsunamis taking out entire continents, including a monk’s retreat on a mountaintop. And it’s all done really well.

 But you also have to snort in disbelief at some of the outrageous things that would never happen, should a real disaster of this type occur. Like planes taking off on rubbled runways, then landing in a remote mountain area near exactly where the travelers were headed.

Still, as far as disaster movies go, this is a fun one. If you like this sort of thing, you should definitely check it out. At 158 minutes, though, it’s long, so be prepared for lots of disaster. And while I wouldn’t call “2012” a family movie, it definitely has some family elements to it. Even though Jackson feel disconnected to his kids and ex-wife, they work together during the disaster and realize they need each other.

JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM :

One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels: Something to talk about.

Four Reels: You want the truth? Great flick!

Five Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net