Emmerich takes disaster movies into a next level

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2009)

I saw 2012 last night on a special screening by my college and I have to admit, my expectations were not too high... I mean, Roland Emmerich directed Independence Day, Day After Tomorrow and Godzilla (funny films to watch, BTW). And when I heard he was directing a 2012 film I was not surprised. I thought he would take the Mayan prophecy as a main part of the plot and that's it, that's why I didn't understood the amount of characters. But, when the movie begins, they (Emmerich and co-writer Harald Kloser) offer a scientific explanation (if not realistic or plausible, at least sound better than it will happen just because the Mayans said so) of everything that starts this year and projects to the future. It looks that they wanted that year 2012 was just a mere coincidence. And it works well. Destruction scenes (earthquakes, eruptions and tsunamis) are just amazing. Full of clichés... but they work, at least for me... and the rest of the attendants. But something is necessary to stand out: this films shows the harsh reality of this world, that is (major spoilers ahead) 1. just rich people are allowed to live, no matter if you are smart or hardworking (or helped someone else to survive), if you are not rich, you're dead, and 2. people in panic are even more dangerous than an enormous tsunami. Emmerich takes disaster movies into a next level by making, not only the best destruction scenes in (maybe) movies history, but he (major spoilers ahead) is really filming the end of the world as we known (that obviously includes millions of casualties). Very worth watching film. If you can catch it on a theater, even better.