Voted Sarah Palin in 2012, because the world is going to end anyway

Rating: 4/10 (12 February 2011)

The Road and The Book of the Eli were two films released pretty closely tacking the subject of a post-apocalyptical world: 2012, Roland Emmerich so-called final disaster film, sets out to show the apocalypse happening in the most stupid way possible.
Starting in 2009, a scientist in India (Jimi Mistry) discovers that solar flares are shooting radioactive particles to Earth, overheating the Earth's core and shifting the tectonic plates. With every major government aware of the situation they make plans to safeguard humanity, getting all the world's treasures and getting rich people to donate 1 Billon for a ticket on ships to save people. Fast forward to 2012 and the world starts to crumble. Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) is a struggling sci-fi writer and limo driver, who one holiday in Yellowstone National Park meets a conspiracy theorist (Woody Harrelson), who tells him about the ships to save humanity and before California falls into the sea Jackson saves his family, son Noah (Liam James), daughter Lily (Morgan Lily), ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet) and plastic surgeon/Kate's boyfriend Gordon (Thomas McCarthy). In Washington D.C. there is a conflict between the president's scientific adviser Adrian Helmsmen (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) as they clash over what is the best way to save humanity whilst President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover) has to deal with his conscience.
Scientifically 2012 is complete rubbish and there are plot holes galore, from how could some massive ships be made in Tibet without anyone noticing? How could they build them in 2 years and have to make a base as well? Surely wouldn't scientists who were not involved with governments might have discovered what's going and wouldn't the media question the large number of deaths of prominent people. As well if this was sure a big crisis then governments would have made the ships be made by public money and wouldn't need to sell to the highest bidder. The plot about saving humanity and civilisation felt very much like Deep Impact but took a more unrealistic and unbelievable route. There is also the human element of disbelief from how Jackson seem to have the skills of a stunt driver and that Gordon would only had a few flying lessons is able to fly a plane through a collapsing city, which even a Stealth Fighter with top of the range computers would struggle to go through.
As a director Emmerich is not known for his subtlety or his restraint. The death court in his disaster films has raisin from the world's major cities in Independence Day, the whole of the northern hemisphere in The Day After Tomorrow and know it is the whole world with 2012. The CGI effects are very good in 2012 and it is a fun, clean way to see millions of people getting killed: though I prefer it when a director only uses CGI when there is no other option and special effects do not make a film. There was a bit to much green screen and not enough scenes shot on location. But some of the scenes were just lifted from other films, like the plane taking of with the group collapsing is very much like the scene same in Independence Day, the ship being capsized is a cross between Poseidon and Titanic. The government preparations are a dumb downed version of Deep Impact and some of the family scenes are like a scene from a Spielberg film but very poorly done. Emmerich also follows his other popular theme of stupid or corrupt government officials who do not listen to reason. And the film is way too long and there are to many characters who are pointless or add nothing to the film: Thandie Newton may as well not been in it because her character did not do anything to the plot, there are stupid characters like the Russian twins and many other characters just serve to move the plot along. Plus it is too convenient about how some characters meet and know each other. Finally, a little SPOILOR ALERT: I really doubt that President's Chief-of-Staff would take the American government; wouldn't major politicians be saved so someone in the American command take over, from the Speaker, a Cabinet member or a senior senator. Plus I doubt the Italian PM would stay in Italy, particularly if he is meant to be like Silvio Belusconi who in real life would be the first to go and possibly take three of his finest prostitutes.
Many of the actors know that 2012 is just rubbish and obviously did it for the money. They don't give their all. Ejiofor is a great actor and deserve to do more major roles and I think he needs to do a really good drama in the near future. Newton too is normally better then this and admittedly I though it was a little weird seeing two British actors together with American accents. Cusack obviously never followed his potential but he is not a good leading man in this film: he is more a comic actor then an action hero. I like Peet but her characters follows the cliché that she is still in love with her ex and Lily and Russian twins are some of the worst child actors I have seen for awhile. Glover is also an actor who was in the film because of the money and Harrelson who was offering comic relief has the mercy of limited screen time (his character was a little like the abducted crop-duster pilot in Independence Day). I like Harrelson normally. But character development has never been Emmerich's strong point.
Overall this is a film that appeals to the lowest common denominated and relies on the audience have a no intelligent. There are some decent action sequences, but 2012 is pretty much a best of Emmerich which fails. Watch Independence Day or The Day After Tomorrow instead.