Chattanooga Pulse

Unless you have lived for the past month without a television, chances are you have seen at least 1,417 commercials for John Cusack’s first foray in the disaster movie genre.  So, maybe we’re exaggerating just a bit, but the marketing push for Roland Emmerich’s latest big-budget “event” movie has been about as subtle as a Glenn Beck crying jag.

2012 is based on the fact that the ancient Mayan civilization’s calendar ends in the year 2012.  While even the Mayan descendants in Central America have publicly stated that none of them (or their ancestors) believe that meant the world would end in two years, when have facts ever stopped someone like Emmerich from having fun staging massive disasters for the cameras?

After all, this is the same man who brought us The Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, and Independence Day.

At the same time, people do not line up at the ticket window for an Emmerich film expecting Oscar-caliber dramas.  When people want big, flashy escapist disaster porn, he is—along with Michael Bay—the go-to guy in Hollywood to deliver.

And if that is what you’re looking for—big, flashy escapist disaster porn—then by all means plop your money down at the ticket counter, buy a big bucket of popcorn, and sit back and enjoy the totally ridiculous, over-the-top story and wonderfully hammy acting by Cusack, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt and Danny Glover (who all really should have known better, but look to be enjoying themselves immensely).

Starring: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover
Director: Roland Emmerich
Rating: PG-13