movies

2012

A trip of guilty pleasure. You laugh at the lack of scientific fact, and the impossibility of the stunts, and yet you cannot look away. Forget drama, for there is not much surprise here beside the anguish of seeing our world destroyed. If you are into simply watching visual effects and action sequences that will render you speechless, this is your movie. There lies the greatest strength of this movie and also its greatest disappointment. The humor was nevertheless great. For visual effects purposes, this motion picture has to be watched in the theaters.

So the movie paralleles the story of the Globe’s elite facing the World coming to an end and a writer fighting to reconcile his family. The movie is VERY LOSELY based on the mayan Long Count Calendar. The Mayan documents do not carry such dates anywhere but do mention stars alignments and signs which happen to be on the same day the Mayan calendar expires. The movie does not dwell on the Mayan theory, but goes into theory of rapid techtonic plaques movements.

An American geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his friend Satnam discovered that neutrinos from a massive solar flare have penetrated the Earth. Helmsley returns to inform the authorities of how this will result in cataclismic events that will end the world. The rest of the world then decides to take action to ensure the survival of the human race.

As quakes on the west coast intensify, cracks are appearing on the ground, and fumes are appearing from Yellowstone Park where Jackson Curtis played by John Cusack is taking his children on a camping trip. Enters Chairlie Forst, a conspiracy theorist who appears to be a lunatic, who tells Curtis about the disappearances of the World scientific leaders, and that there might be a cover up. Through the boasting of some rich kids for whose father Curtis works as a driver/chauffeur, he learns the existence of an “ARCH project.”

Soon after, the world surely comes to an end. Volcanoes erupt as governements and people attempt to survive. Curtis takes his family on a journey to find the place where the world plan for salvation is being deployed.

They did not spare resources on the production of this feature. There were 522 people on the Visual Effects team. Yes 522! They all deserve applause, and if it were not for all the media attention around upcoming 2009 Avatar, they could have taken the Oscar next year. The casting was exceptional though the team was led by Scott David; I think this is his biggest gig to date. The team behing the scene is full of the globe’s cinematographic trend setters. But Roland Emmerich, though an exceptional director, should have relinquished the reins as a writer, or at least pair with someone other than TV Veteran Harald Kloser (2004 AVP:Alien vs Predator, 1995 the OJ Simpson Story).

Roland Emmerich is a directing genius and brought us 1996 ID4, 1998 Godzilla. Yet so that we all understand that I am not just bashing on his writing skills. The last time he directed a major motion picture without being the writer as well, he delivered 2000 The Patriot. What great piece of art that was. My point is that the dramatic success of this movie could have been greater had the producers contemplated rewriting some of the story.

To their credits they did not spare on casting. They casted mega stars from around the world to ensure global adoption of 2012. Quiet force Henry O plays Lama Rinpoche teaching life lessons from the Tibetian heights, Elizabeth Richards known as the international Queen Elizabeth II look alike is here as well, Chiwetel Ejiofor (2009 Endgame, 2007 American Gangster, 1997 Amistad) stole the show as Adam Helmsley, and a quiet presence from legendary Chinese actors Lisa Lu and (of course) Chang Tseng (1957 Ming Feng,1977 Qu Yuan,2000 Romeo Must Die) give an epic aura to 2012.

Very few can resist falling for British actress Thandie Newton. Not only does she has so much control of her facial muscles, but her ability at crying is phenomenal. I have been watching her for a while, and I cannot wait for her to shock all the critics in a few years. Someone please give her a lead role in a drama and watch her take over. Make it a very painful story in which one puts the actress through a whirwind of joy and happiness, and watch her land the performance of the year. If anyone is listening… call her agent.

In 2012, Danny Glover plays an American President and a father worthy of the great cinematographic presidents of the past. Woody Harrelson is on a roll this year as he is also performing in Zombieland, the Messenger, Defender, and Bunraku. The rest of the cast includes other greats such as John Cusack, Amanda Peet, George Segal, and upcoming greats Liam James, Morgan Lily.