Scientists accurately predict the end of the world on December 21,
2012 ​and must work fast to save the human race before it happens.

ACTION/SCI-FI

2012 ​(2009)

Directed by Roland Emmerich

Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser

Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Tom McCarthy, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Buric, ​Beatrice Rosen, Liam James, Morgan Lily

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Connor Eyzaguirre

​March 26, 2016

7/10

I take it everybody remembers the outcry of prophetic warnings back in 2012? Remember, when everybody said all was lost and our time was coming to an end? The Mayan calendar? Nothing? Just me, huh. I figured as much. These end-of-the-world dates we seem to be spoonfed once or twice a year are erased from our minds whenever that day passes. This happened when December 21, 2012 passed without the apocalypse. Unfortunately, that means this film faded away with that date. 2012 is the granddaddy of all disaster flicks, because it finally has the balls to blow up everything in sight while humanity does whatever they can to save the rich and powerful. If you can ignore the fact that we are four years from 2012 and nothing ever happened, it's an entertaining film.

For once, Roland Emmerich writes some fairly interesting characters outside of Independence Day, with John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor leading the pack as a failed author trying to save his family and the geologist who discovered the impending Armageddon. The performances are decent, but Emmerich goes big on the stereotypes, especially for the Russian characters. He's got a Russian guy with his trophy girlfriend and obnoxious twin sons who try to escape the end of the world in their giant plane with their exotic car collection. If that doesn't scream Russian mob, then I don't know what does.

The writing isn't the best, with the reasons behind the apocalypse being some science B.S. revolving around neutrinos and solar flares. Let's all be honest here, though. None of us are watching this film for the drama. We want to see some international landmarks crumble into dust. Well, you're in luck. In 2012, we see the White House, Yellowstone National Park, and the entire cities of Los Angeles and Las Vegas meet their respective makers. This film is straight up disaster porn, which is fine because it never promised to be anything else.