In the year 2012, the world will end, so says director Ronald Emmerich in his latest film 2012, which will have some audiences questioning, even fearing, what may happen two years from now. The movie is a must-see for the aesthetically pleasing special effects and clever dialogue, although some viewers may be unimpressed by unrealistic scenarios depicted in the film.
The plot follows several theories that have sparked conversations throughout the ages, probing the possibility of the world’s end in 2012. With a series of natural disasters causing cities to topple down and the earth’s crust to break off into pieces, destruction becomes the major component.
Emmerich strives to incorporate several aspects of each doomsday theory, especially the one created by the Mayans, which predicts the world will culminate in the year 2012.
The execution of the chaos in the movie is beautifully shown with special effects.
Huge cracks in the earth cause the surface to shift and take down the foundations built upon it. Scenes include famous monuments around the world being reduced to rubble and people running frantic while praying to their god to save them. The portrayal of a Buddhist monastery in Tibet being swallowed by a huge tsunami will leave the audience stunned. The image of the 710 meters high statue of Christ collapsing on Corcovado Mountain in Brazil is breathtaking.
However, as amazing as the special effects are, the acting offers the contrary.
Actress Amanda Peet plays a mother of two who escapes with her children, Lily and Noah, her current boyfriend and her ex-husband (played by John Cusack). On a quest to stay alive, the family tries to prevent three arks from colliding with Mount Everest. At the end of the film, they land on a newly shaped Africa, whose continent is restructured as a result of the worldwide tsunamis. The characters do not seem perturbed when facing their obstacles, and not a single strand of Peet’s hair falls out of place.
Although the film aims to demonstrate the high emotional level of the world’s end, the audience is not moved to share in these feelings, which takes away from the intensity of the film. The special effects make the movie worth watching, as does Emmerich’s directing ability in building up suspense. Viewers are taken on an emotional roller coaster ride filled with laughs, wonder, fear and a slight loss of hope.
They will leave the theatre with a newfound appreciation for the present and an aching feeling about the future.
