Does the end of the world have to be so boring????

Rating: 1/10 (20 November 2009)

According to ancient Mayans the world will end on December 21, 2012. Something about all the planets lined up causing the Earth to fall apart. Geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejofor) finds out and warns people in 2009. The government keeps it secret much to the disgust of the president (Danny Glover). Cut to 2012. Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), his ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet), HER new bf and their two annoying kids try to evade being killed when California is destroyed. They find a possible solution and rush to safety with destruction close behind.
OK--the special effects ARE incredible. Seeing the entire coast of California crumble and be swept away is (in a strange way) kind of fun. All the destruction scenes are unbelievable--but that's maybe 30 minutes out of a movie that runs 160 minutes!!!! The rest is just some very talented actors having to recite some of the WORST dialogue I've ever heard. They're all giving very good performances but no one could make such generic lines work. Dialogue aside the basic plot is silly. Come on--the entire world will just be destroyed in 2012??? Also Cusack and family are constantly making these impossible escapes from near death. This happens CONSTANTLY! Gets dull after the fourth time. Also there are countless subplots and characters that add nothing to the main story. I'm STILL trying to figure out what the hell George Segal was doing here! They're boring and just drag out the movie. At 160 minutes this is FAR too long. 30 minutes or more could have easily been cut out with no loss. To make matters worse the film is constantly make you cry. Likable characters get killed and the film pours on the sentiment. I cry easily and this film set me off more than once...but it's FORCING you to cry. I hate films that do that! A good film wouldn't pull stuff like that. You would cry because you understand the characters and situations. Here it's like writer/director Roland Emmerich is grabbing you by the neck and yelling at you to cry! To make matters worse Woody Harrelson has a small part as a conspiracy nut and overacts to a degree that is just embarrassing.
So--the special effects are incredible but the boring characters, ridiculous story and length make this a real chore to sit through. But then what can I expect from the guy who gave us "Independence Day"? I give this a 1.