A disappointment that worth seeing !

Rating: 5/10 (15 November 2009)

When I saw the trailer of this movie I knew it will break a record in the box office which seems happening so far. But I also thought that it will make skeptics more aware about the 2012 legacy and why it is so important. In other words, I thought that this movie will include more fact and reality beside fantasy and entertainment. However, after watching the movie I had a feeling of disappointment because the movie had everything such as huge budget and great actors but it still it could've done better.
First I will list what I liked about the movie:
1- John Cusack's performance : Great actor , very enthusiastic and professional.
2- Visual effects : Ronald Emmerich is well known for this, enough said.
3- The message from the movie : Increase people awareness about humanity and caring for each other, imperialism and how government control and hide such information from being delivered to people.
4- Thriller factor : such as catching up on the last minute and so on.
What I didn't like about the movie:
1- Casting : Amanda Peet is a great actress but I see her fits more in comedies not in action movies. I personally would've liked to see Charlize Theron or Jennifer Garner in this movie. Danny Glover didn't fit at all as the president of the United States, he was mumbling most of the time and hearing what he was saying is really hard.
2- Unrealistic fantasies: Such as passing every obstacle with a limo while the earth is falling apart behind, flying the plane just on time before the ground collapses...etc
3- the focus on Jackson's and Adrian's private lives more than the disaster it self.
4- The beginning of the movie didn't explain the background about the disaster that well.
5- Absence of details.
6- Making a happy ending although it is not ! : so most of human beings died and only few billionaires survived. Which means they'll die soon after because there will be no hotels , fancy restaurants, mansions or Bentley's in 2013 Africa. I don't think that bunch of spoiled billionaires will hold to that !
How could've this movie done better:
1- the beginning of the movie should've explained the story behind 2012 and a background scene about the Mayans and how accurate their calendar is.
2- Remove Amanda Peet and Danny glover from their roles.
3- making more realistic scenes instead of the fantasy that I explained above.
4- Show more disasters around the world beside earthquakes and volcanoes.
5- Include more "end of the world" facts from Christianity,Juddaism and Islam would've been more affective on most viewers emotions and feelings of the movie because it will touch their believes.
6- Using a sad ending by making all humans die because of their greed of surviving would've been significant to the movie and advertisement to the 2012 as the end of the world not a new beginning.Beside that it'll be an opposite of all what people expected that the hero always survive and thats more thrilling.
7- Ending the movie with scientific facts about the unique alignment that will take place in 2012 and what did the Mayan calender proved so far.
The bottom line is I expected to walk out of the theater thinking that I got only 2 years left and go back to home and search about 2012 myth, not to walk out of the theater thinking that it was another fantasy-entertainment centered movie.
Was it worth seeing ? of course because you'll experience a great visual affects that sometimes you'll feel that you're in a roller coaster not a movie theater. The only thing is don't base high expectations from the movie because you'll get disappointed.