Director uses huge effects to show end of the world
Ari Melman
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
In the beginning, there was light. And then, depending on which story you base your life around, there was either a great flood, or cameras and action. Eventually, we reach the end of the world. The Mayans believed that day would be on 12-21-2012. Building around that idea, "2012" takes you through a special effects bonanza, allowing viewers to feast their senses with some of Hollywood's greatest explosions, destruction, and far-out technology. Only this time, the action villain isn't any monster or madman. It's the earth itself.
The movie begins in India, where geologists notice the largest galactic explosions ever recorded. These have already started making the planet's core temperature rise. They deduce that these will reach Earth soon, leading to the boiling of the planet's core and the complete restructuring of the globe's land mass. The next three years follow Dr. Adrian Helmsley and the world's leaders as they prepare for imminent destruction. Fast forward to the beginning of the end where we find Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) taking his kids to Yellowstone National Park. After seeing that the place is military- occupied and the lake is dried up, he comes across a crazy hippie who claims the end is near and has facts to back up his story. Soon, Curtis and his family undertake a harrowing journey through crumbling land, volcanic eruptions, and interpersonal difficulties.
The movie mixes in one liner comedy and shallow relationships, standard in these types of action films. The movie mocks the "Governator," shows kids jumping over the earthquake cracks as a game, and even pokes around with inappropriate Russian jokes. They show the destruction of the Washington Monument, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a monastery, a suburban supermarket and countless other scenes, as they tally up destruction around the world. The first true action scene, occurring about half an hour into the film, stands out as the most original, as the family escapes their town via limousine, outpacing sinking ground, collapsing bridges and buildings, and fellow cars. It's a joy ride, one that retains its fast pace and only briefly slows during the various sappy emotional interludes.
As the director and producer of "The Day After Tomorrow," "Godzilla," and "Independence Day," Roland Emmerich, understands action movies. He's the master at creating a tense atmosphere, andmixing Biblical references into modern day disaster. "2012" fulfills all the elements of a fun blockbuster without breaking any new ground. It's still a blast, and should thoroughly entertain moviegoers just in time for the holiday season.
The movie begins in India, where geologists notice the largest galactic explosions ever recorded. These have already started making the planet's core temperature rise. They deduce that these will reach Earth soon, leading to the boiling of the planet's core and the complete restructuring of the globe's land mass. The next three years follow Dr. Adrian Helmsley and the world's leaders as they prepare for imminent destruction. Fast forward to the beginning of the end where we find Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) taking his kids to Yellowstone National Park. After seeing that the place is military- occupied and the lake is dried up, he comes across a crazy hippie who claims the end is near and has facts to back up his story. Soon, Curtis and his family undertake a harrowing journey through crumbling land, volcanic eruptions, and interpersonal difficulties.
The movie mixes in one liner comedy and shallow relationships, standard in these types of action films. The movie mocks the "Governator," shows kids jumping over the earthquake cracks as a game, and even pokes around with inappropriate Russian jokes. They show the destruction of the Washington Monument, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a monastery, a suburban supermarket and countless other scenes, as they tally up destruction around the world. The first true action scene, occurring about half an hour into the film, stands out as the most original, as the family escapes their town via limousine, outpacing sinking ground, collapsing bridges and buildings, and fellow cars. It's a joy ride, one that retains its fast pace and only briefly slows during the various sappy emotional interludes.
As the director and producer of "The Day After Tomorrow," "Godzilla," and "Independence Day," Roland Emmerich, understands action movies. He's the master at creating a tense atmosphere, andmixing Biblical references into modern day disaster. "2012" fulfills all the elements of a fun blockbuster without breaking any new ground. It's still a blast, and should thoroughly entertain moviegoers just in time for the holiday season.
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