Special Effects good, everything else ridiculous

Rating: 6/10 (29 November 2009)

This is an archetypal disaster movie that closely mimics the directors previous efforts (Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow) in many plot aspects. There is very little in this movie that comes as a surprise, except perhaps for the number of times certain characters survive ridiculous situations.
That being said, if you don;t take it too seriously (which is a pre-requisite anyway for most disaster movies) this is an enjoyable effort, if a bit over long. Some of the special effects are superb and fully enhanced by the cinematic experience,I can imagine it would be a good choice to watch at an Imax. The acting is in general pretty good, an area a lot of these films can fall down on, with John Cusack his usual brilliant self in the main role and he his ably supported by the rest. I especially liked the appearance of Lance Henriksen (Bishop from the Alien films, a legend in my mind).
If you want a fun and exciting film this definitely delivers, if you want something original or thought provoking this is not for you