It's the end of the world as we know it

Rating: 7/10 (31 December 2009)

Roland Emmerich's "2012" is the latest in a long line of apocalyptic popcorn flicks with more reliance on special effects than on story. Here, major problems with the heat of the earth's core threaten to bring about cataclysmic earthquakes and related disasters. Naturally, world governments have decided to keep a lid on the problem until it's too late for the common man to do anything about it (though a few conspiracy theorists know the score). With this backdrop, the film focuses on a family trying their best to escape the mayhem.
The cast isn't bad, considering the number of recognizable actors present. Chiwetel Ejiofor & Oliver Platt deliver the best performances but it's clear that the special effects wizards are the real stars of the show. The effects are indeed striking though they later take a back seat to the human drama. That wouldn't have been such a concern if the story was truly compelling instead of rehashing the usual 'struggle for survival' plot points (eg. self-serving actions for some, pleas for humanity for others, etc...).
Emmerich's bombastic style is well-suited to the subject matter but the film's bloated runtime may tax the patience of some viewers. While the effects may be worthy of Oscar consideration there's nothing else about the film that's exceptional. The bottom line is that "2012" is a competent special effects extravaganza which offers little to distinguish it from others of its type.