According to the ancient Mayans, the world will supposedly end some time in the year 2012, when all the planets line up. That is the premise of Roland Emmerich's latest disaster film. Emmerich is the guy who blew up the White House in "Independence Day", and who depicted the world in deep freeze in "The Day After Tomorrow". In late 2009, a geologist played by Chiwetel Ejiofor finds out that the world as we know it will come to an end in 2012. So he rushed to
Washington, D.C. to tell the bad news to machiavellian Senator Anheiser (Oliver Platt), the villain of the movie. Governments around the world prepare for this eventuality, but most people are kept in the dark until the last minute. In a subplot, failed novelist turned limo driver Casey Jackson (John Cusack) takes his kids on a camping trip to Yosemite National Park in California just before disaster ensues. He converses with a conspiracy nut ( Woody Harrelson), who has his own fringe radio show about UFOs and other oddness. Harrelson was a hoot in this role. When Jackson returns his kids to his ex-wife (Amanda Peet), he must convince her and her cosmetic surgeon of a new husband to pack up and leave with him ASAP. Meanwhile, all hell breaks loose. Highways crumble, Yosemite becomes a volcano, and as limo driver Cusack drives, he has near miss after near miss until California starts to fall into the sea. Jackson hires a plane and rushes his estranged family to the airport. While aviation-pilot trainee Gordon (Peet's second husband) reluctantly flies the Cessna plane, the runway starts to crumble. Cusack and family end up on a bigger plane owned by a wealthy Russian, and they end up flying abroad to where the destruction isn't as bad. Meanwhile, the President (played by Danny "Lethal Weapon" Glover) gives up his seat on one of several futuristic arks. Only so many people can be saved, and many (or most) of them are wealthy or politically powerful. Although the earth's crust has shifted, there are many survivors. This is one of those movies whose special effects come before the story. This won't likely win any acting awards, other than its special effects; but it held my interest for nearly three hours. It was like a roller coaster, with the various character's stories, and then how they react to what seems like the apocalypse.
No comments:
Post a Comment