Epic, Yes, But Focuses On All The Wrong Things

Rating: 4/10 (12 March 2017)

When I thought about all the hoopla that surrounded the release of this film, I figured that the film would delve into the Mayan culture (which predicts the now-infamous world-ending date) and how people of the Earth would interpret in during that fateful year. Instead, I got a disaster film...nothing more.
Of course, if you a fan of the "disaster film" genre, then this may be one of the best films you see all year. The special effects are incredible, and action is non-stop, and a few scenes (like the crumbling of the Christ The Redeemer statue in Brazil) that are iconic. It compares favorable to other movies of its type, including "Titanic" and "Cloverfield".
Where this film falls short of those films, though, is that fact that its appeal ends at "disaster". The characters (at least the main ones) are almost blatantly ripped off from "War of the Worlds" (the Tom Cruise version) in terms of family dynamics, and by the end of the film you still don't find yourself really rooting for them with any heartfelt emotion. Also, what little semblance of a plot that does exist moves by way too quickly, with no time devoted to fleshing them out or making them truly crucial to the story. As I mentioned earlier, this movie sorely lacked any sort of discussion about why the Mayans predict the world to end in 2012, as well as more context on how the people of the "Arks" are chosen. What could have been a fascinating character study in humanity instead is completely glossed-over by explosions and destruction. Imagine The Dark Knight without The Joker, and you pretty much get the picture.
Thus, unless you are a huge fan of incredible special effects and prolonged action sequences, I would advise you to skip this effort, as it just doesn't bring any more to the table than that.