Catastrophe on screen and behind the camera!!!

Rating: 7/10 (17 July 2010)

It's been a while since a decent "end of the world" movie and this was a breath of fresh air to the back of our seats. From start to finish you are on the edge, waiting to see what gets destroyed next and how the characters are possibly going to survive.
There is everything you would expect: Great visuals fast paced action, world destruction and nail biting suspense. These make the film what it is and bring its success; which will keep all viewers happy and put bums in seats. However there are some very big holes created which aren't results of the end of the world but the making of the event.
The calibre of actors is a bit flat, a couple well known people but none who have the big Hollywood status right now and so lack star quality. Bigger names would have drawn bigger audiences however I suppose putting in top action stars would have eliminated the peril as you would expect them to succeed. With these actors you are constantly wondering.
However the big problem is in the story telling is there is none of it. The 2012 doomsday theory is a preconceived idea so the film makers already had that in place. They simply destroyed anything that hasn't already been blown up. And the rest of the story surrounds the relationships between the characters, which we have seen a thousand times. This film lacks originality and you constantly feel like you've seen it before. Everything has been put into blowing s**t up and the visual effects. The other factors to the film have been put on the back burner with little or no effort to address.
While this film won't win any Oscars for its story telling or acting it will get endless honours for its colossal creation and groundbreaking effects. There is enough going on to keep everyone occupied and the majority of people will simply pass over the lack of story.
The only way I can rate this is to say it is not as good as Independence Day, but better than Day After Tomorrow. A great action packed movie which delivers again and again and so succeeds at its goal; creating a movie spectacle worthy of destroying the world.
Overall Summary: Bit hit on screen with dramatic action and effects. But a disappointment off camera with lack of story telling and originality.