effective effects and a great entertainer

Rating: 9/10 (17 February 2010)

Roland has done it again!
A visual treat so en-captivating that it would almost be a crime to watch it on DVD. Regardless of your views on the subject, pls go and see this in the theaters, the effects alone are worth it.
This movie is essentially a sequel to "The Day After Tomorrow" although it is not intended to be one, and from that point of view, given the fact that (almost) all sequels suck, this is brilliantly entertaining.
One main draw for me to go the the theaters is movies that have special effects and "things blowing up". This movie was a true visual treat. This is the primary reason why this movie gets a 4.5 stars despite its unbelievable plot, real bad characterization and okey dokey acting. I didn't let my brain get in the way and I simply sat back and enjoyed.
Plot. This is where you check out your brain. You gotta have some crazy plot to bring about a doomsday, so you should just accept that and move on. Lets face it, something like a homicide or a cancer patient story will not really bring about global tidal waves, they can only be caused, apparently, by earth crust displacement.
Speaking of characterization, Roland, I gotta tell you man, you did a bad job here. Just pull out your older movies and look at the strong characterizations your movies have displayed despite being sci-fi oriented. Case and point - Independence day, characters played by Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum even the non primary characters like the drunk farmer who gave up his life, the other stripper, presidents wife etc were very memorable characters. None of the characters of 2012 really moved me, I think I might already have forgotten most of them.
I understand that one does not go to these movies to be vowed by some great acting, its just not that genre. But even with that expectation, the acting disappointed me. Everybody sucked, except Woody Harrelson, he was good. Initially I thought it was just bad acting all across the board (except woody), but then I realized that it was the lack of characterization that did not really give the actors a chance to showcase any kind of acting prowess. Roland, you got hit with two stones because of one bird.
Roland, buddy, how come none of your primary characters, in all of your movies, have parents, while every body else in the movie does? Just wondering.
Fact Check >> Arnold wont be the governor in 2012, his second (and final) term completes in Jan 2011.
(For the folks who don't know, Roland is the writer, director and producer of the movie) ______________________
Now, here's what I would have changed if I was in control.
* Characterization - a lot more of it even at the expense of cutting down some pace scenes and effects * Chiwetel Ejiofor's speech at the end of the movie was not really moving, I would strengthen that. * Bring around Oliver Pratt's character towards the end. Something to the tune of, when they bang into the big mountain (I wont say which one) towards the end of the movie, they see mountaineers up top. After their engine starts up Oliver, having had a change of heart, turns the ship around to rescue the mountaineers. * Seems to me like the only people who wont be affected by all this water would be astronauts in the International Space Station. Would be nice to bring in that angle - what happens to them. * Remove the haggling part for ticketing. If the world s going to end why would I haggle for the ticket price, as long as I can pay. * No back story on why John's son hates him and then no real reason why he comes around. * I would add a side story on prisoners (hate to imagine that they would all drown like caged animals). * I would add a side story on immobile hospital patients and their families. * I would add side story about human ingenuity and about necessity of being inventive in times like these, for survival. * Show that some military submarines have also survived, some of them perched up on mount Mc Kinley or Mt Whitney, would make a great visual with some biblical similarities. * Declare that all remaining survivors are equal, be it a sheik or a humble bartender on the ark and there is one single nation post calamity.
This review was originally posted on my blog: http://roundhayreview.blogspot.com/2009/11/2012.html