2012: Review By Vamp

Well, I must say that when this movie was first announced, I had to roll my eyes. I get so sick of hearing all of these end-of-the-world theories that I immediately wrote the movie off. I'm sick of it, you know? What on God's green Earth would make me want to see the damn movie. Even if it did have John Cusack in it, who is one of my favorite actors I might add. I just didn't give a damn. However... the trailers started coming out, and I gradually started to think it looked slightly interesting. Even then, I didn't really care. However, my friends wanted to go and see a movie, and this is what they chose (since they seemed to be quite against seeing "The Twilight Saga: New Moon"). Now, I admit that I wasn't completely against seeing it... In fact, I didn't give a sh*t whether I saw it or not. So I went in with a lot of doubt. HOWEVER! After I left the movie... All doubt was forgotten. The movie, to put it simply, was nothing short of amazing, in my opinion. I absolutely loved every minute of it. It was gripping right from the start, and by the end, I was still reluctant to leave my seat. The visuals were definitely the best part of the movie, and the story comes in at a very close second. The whole movie was done very well... And from the director of "Independence Day," I should have expected nothing short of that. The scenes were handled very well. The one thing that got me, was that I actually thought about what I'd go through in the end of the world, and it kind of scared the sh*t out of me. So take it from someone who was skeptical in the beginning, and give this movie a shot because I'm almost certain that you'll love it. Emmerich's style is clearly one of the better ones of our generation, and if I may be so bold as to say it, this might be the best movie I've seen this year (yes... maybe even better than "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans!").

The director, as you all know, is Roland Emmerich, whose directed other such hit movies as "Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow," "10,000 B.C.," "The Patriot," and "Godzilla." Now, I have seen, and loved, every single one of these movies. I don't know WHY I had even the slightest doubt in going into this movie, but I did. And I was proven completely wrong. So I do not think that I shall be doubting Roland Emmerich's directorial skills any longer. He clearly has full mastery over the camera and it's angles. I think the best angular scene of this movie was definitely the part where the plane is going to take off from the airport in California, while ground is collapsing beneath it. It's just an amazing scene to watch, and the angles that are used are absolutely stunning. Emmerich really knows what he's doing. Emmerich also writes for the movie with the help of one Harald Kloser, who also wrote for "10,000 B.C." The writing for the movie is awesome. Like last year's "Australia," this movie is packed with everything. You've got your action, your suspense, your thrills, your laughs, and your tear-jerking moments. All wrapped skillfully into one. It made for one great movie, and I don't believe I've cried in certain parts like I did since I first saw the movie "Armageddon" with Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck. Emmerich and Kloser both show that they can handle the pen very nicely, and in Emmerich's case: just as nicely as he did with the directorial camera. So everything in this department is in order, which only helps the movie along even more.

The visuals of this movie are probably wehat stand out the most, if you ask me. The great story helps the movie move along at a VERY enjoyable pace, but it's the visuals that really have to work to capture your imagination in this end-of-the-world thriller. If I had to pick one of what I count to be thousands of scenes that really stood out in the movie, I'd pick the scene where Yellowstone park erupts. I'm not going into full detail for those of you who haven't seen the movie, but just know it's like a super-volcano, and the visuals were done quite epically. Another great scene was the destruction of California, which has been the main scene featured in either trailers or music videos such as Adam Lambert's "Time For Miracles." I know the one thing that everyone praises in the movie is the visuals... but they also say that everything else sucked. This is half true... The visuals were amazing. But the rest of the movie was, too. So many other thigns were done well, also. The ark's at the end are very intense. That's the best word to describe it. They're overwhelming, but in a good way. I can't describe them to you without risking a major spoiler, but they definitely look very awesome, and make the ending so much more satisfying. You have to wait the whole movie to see them, pretty much, and you don't want to be disappointed. And let me tell you... You're definitely not disappointed. So overall, the visuals are a huge success and act as one of the main driving points of the movie.

The storlyine of the movie is where everything could have gone wrong. When I first heard about the movie, I thought it was going to be a doc*mentary of sorts. Showing what could happen at the end of the world. However, it's not that at all, as many have gathered from the various trailers and previews. The movie is an account of three different groups of people, fighting to survive the apocalypse, and eventually their plights end up entertwining. It's a great plot, but it could have also gone wrong in dialogue. How are people going to react at the end of the world? Well... I don't know how accurate they are in this, but the dialogue and the rest of the character development works for the movie. This is a really general area, though because none of us knows how the Earth would react if it were going to end, other than the fact that there would most undoubtedly be mass-hysteria. However, other than that we can only speculate. All Emmerich had to do was be able to create dialogue and reactions that could be plausible. Easy, right? Well... Maybe, maybe not. However, Emmerich does brilliantly with this are, and gives a wide range of possible reactions. From hysteria, to greed, to awe, to religious ferver. Most of the reactions that might occur are covered, and that's part of what makes this movie so awesome. So overall, the storyline is done very well, and helps the movie along nicely.

The storyline is pretty easy to grasp after a while. After discovering something strange with the surface reactions on the sun in 2009, Dr. Adrian Helmsley (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor of "Love Actually") discovers the end of the world. He drives all over the world, and brings it to the attention of Carl Anheuser (played by Oliver Platt of "Lake Placid"), who in turn brings it to the attention of the president of the United States of America, Thomas Wilson (played by Danny Glover of "Lethal Weapon"). Within six months, the problem is brought to the attention of the world leaders, and a contingency plan is put into action. They begin working on something very important in China. Meanwhile, in California, Jackson Curtis (played by John Cusack of "Better Off Dead") is just trying to live out his days without going insane. As a published, but otherwise unsuccessful divorced author, he's definitely having a tough time. His wife, Kate Curtis (played by Amanda Peet of "Martian Child"), doesn't really trust him that much, and is the average divorced woman who only wants what's best for her children, Noah (played by Liam James of "AVPR - Aliens Vs. Predator - Requiem") and Lilly Curtis (played by Morgan Lily of "Henry Poole Is Here"). Lilly loves her father, however his son, Noah, can't really stand to be around him, and would much rather cling to his soon-to-be-step-father, Gordon Silberman (played by Tom McCarthy of "Michael Clayton") who is a nice guy, but he doesn't hold any hope in Jackson as a father. Jackson is going to be taking his children camping at Yellowstone National Park, but in the year 2012, something is definitely not going right at this park. Jackson plans to take his kids to a spot that him and Kim used to go to all the time, but it's blocked off by some highly official looking fences and signs. He goes over anyway, but what he finds is that the lake that used to be there is dried up. Soon, they are hailed by the US Army, and taken to a base where they meet Adrian Helmsley, the geologist who discovered what was going on. In Helsmsley, Jackson finds one of his very few fans, and they are turned out of the spot due to some instability. That night, Jackson meets a strange man named Charlie Frost (played by Woody Harrelson of "Zombieland") who tries to tell him about what is going on with the world. Jackson, of course, writes it off. But when he gets a call from his wife, who almost died in a grocery store accident caused by a very large earthquake, he must leave Yellowstone and bring the kids back. He does and goes back to work, but during work, he realizes that the end of the world was true, and he goes to get his family in the knick of time. They get to Charlie and get a map from him that will lead them to safety from the end of the world... However it's in China. What ensues is a very long journey across the world with danger at every turn. Meanwhile, the president and his advisors must figure out what to do with the people of the world. Once he knows that his daughter, Ana Wilson (played by Thandie Newton of "Mission: Impossible II"), who is an art director at the Louvre, which is also being compromised by the end of the world. The actors and actresses in this movie do a fantastic job with their roles. Envincing all the right emotions that they're supposed to be portraying, and making all of the characters downright likeable. They make the movie even more awesome. They were definitely the right choices to play each role. Definitely a great job on the casting for this movie.

All in all, this was one hell of a movie. Do not write this off because it's another disaster movie. Give the movie a shot because I promise you that you will definitely not be disappointed with this movie at all. John Cusack and the rest deliver some powerful performances, and couple this with the amzing visuals and excellent story, you get one powerhouse of a film. The movie holds you in place for all two-and-a-half hours, which is barely noticeable because of how the film carries itself. The director is amazing, the writing is fantastic, the visuals are spectacular, the storyline is awesome, and the acting is fabulous. So if you're bored on a weekend, go and see this movie because I'm almost positive that you'll absolutely love it. It's really a great film (says the man who can't stop repeating himself). Anyway, it's a really well done film, and one worth your money. So give it a shot because I'm almost POSITIVE that you will not get disappointed with it in the SLIGHTEST. I know I didn't!!!!!