Mini Review: 2012

2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 158 minutes
Stars: John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Director: Roland Emmerich

WARNING: There might be some slight spoilers in the following review.

In a recent interview, Roland Emmerich said that this would be his final disaster movie (following "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow") and that he wanted to make one that would be the end all of the genre and packed everything into it. He has accomplished that, but the final product suffers greatly from it. There are far too many subplots with many unimportant characters that we just don't care about and it's almost an hour into the film before the actual destruction of Earth occurs. There are also many scenes or entire character arcs that could have been taken out to make a slimmer, less convoluted story and film. The acting from Cusack is very phoned in and uninterested. He looks tired and bewildered the entire time. Most of the acting from everyone else is actually decent (especially the extended cameo by Woody Harrelson) including Ejiofor and Oliver Platt. The script is contrived and features unnecessary bits of humor. The only real scenes in the movie to carry interest are the ones of world being destroyed. After that, you follow along with the characters just to see who will die next and if they'll make it. But do you care about it, not really. Emmerich knows how to make a decent disaster movie, the fact that this one is such a head shaker is disheartening. My opinion, catch it once in theaters at a cheap morning matinee and go about your day, because you'll forget everything once the credits start rolling and the God-awful Adam Lambert theme song starts playing.

1.5 out of 5 stars.