2012 - Movie Review

Man, do things 'splode in this movie real good or what?

2012 is as disaster movie to end all disaster movies and if it weren't for the massive loss of humanity, I'd say it was a heckuva ride. Each time I see an fx-laden movie, I think we've reached the pinnacle of the art and then along comes a movie like 2012 that just pushes right on past. You have to admire the sheer audacity of director Roland Emmerich to show as much as possible, and as realistically as you can imagine, the end of the world.

But there's that pesky massive loss of humanity. Oh, I suppose the loss of life comes with the territory of disaster movies, but seeing buildings crumble into one another I couldn't help but flashback on the Murrah building bombing and the WTC Towers collapse. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's only a movie, but those two incidents have taught us that there are real people in those buildings and I couldn't help but wonder about their lives as well as the lives of the main characters. Silly, I know, but there it is. The movie makers want me to care about their movie and I do.

Still, as a disaster movie, 2012 works exceedingly well. The main characters are likable and have their own little dramas that need resolution while the world ends around them. And things are wrapped up with a hopeful ending after a nerve-wracking, gotta-get-this-thing-done-before-we-run-into-that-thing climax.

A great ride.