Hackneyed & Tired

Rating: 4/10 (25 November 2009)

What to say. I was looking forward to seeing this film, because despite my disposition for really deep and meaningful fayre, like most people I do love a good old disaster movie. Is it bigger than The Day After Tomorrow? You bet. Waaaay bigger. Is it bigger that Independence Day? Sure is. Is it as good as either? Urm...
2012 serves only to show that no matter how much ego, money and contrived patriotism you throw into a project such as this, it simply can't work because the engine itself is seriously flawed. Emmerich has certainly succeeded in making the biggest (in every possible sense of the word) disaster movie in the history of film - but that doesn't help one jot here.
The actors seem almost uncomfortable with the roles, and I'm finally coming round to the idea that John Cusack hasn't had a bad deal regarding parts in the past, but simply makes excruciatingly bad decisions. Danny Glover plays possibly the single most contrived US President ever seen on screen - it's cringeworthy to the point of vomitus.
There's no plot, no sense of direction other than getting right down to the CGI fireworks, it has utter contempt for the real world both physically and factually, and possibly the worst aspect of this movie is that it constantly tries to tug your heartstrings with bile-inducing clichés and schmaltz.
That said, the CGI really is something to behold at times - but it does beg the question that if Emmerich was given a tenth of the budget and told to step away from the 'bang-bang machines', would the result be any good? Well, if you take away the CGI out of this equation, what you have is quite possibly the biggest B-Movie ever made - and that is no exaggeration.
So, all in all - I don't recommend you waste your hard earned/stolen cash on this. If you really need to see it, wait for the DVD or BD to surface for less than the price of a McDonald's very soon - because I'm afraid this one is destined for the bargain bucket in a supermarket near you, very, very soon.
I'm giving this 4.3 out of 10 - and three of those stars go directly to the guys who toiled over the CGI machines, wondering what they had done to deserve this. Truly a disappointment.