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Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

John Cusack waits for the end of the world in '2012'

Surprise, surprise, Director Roland Emmerich has dished out yet another apocalyptic film. "2012" will certainly not join the ranks of "Independence Day" and may even fall short of the status earned by "The Day After Tomorrow," which certainly did not set a high bar.

As most of us know by now, the Mayan calendar predicts that Dec. 21, 2012 will be the end of the world as we know it. In the beginning of the film, geology deputy Adrian Helmsley (Chjwetel Ejiofor) and an astrophysicist located in India discover that harmful radiation from the sun is leading to the destabilization of the earth's crust, which will ultimately destroy the planet. Even worse, there is nothing that can be done about it. Presidential aide Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) is informed, and, with the help of Helmsley and other top scientists, must begin a plan that will ensure the continuity of the human race. Both roles performed by Ejiofor and Platt lack serious emotion and, in all honesty, talent.

Divorced writer turned limousine driver Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) accidentally stumbles upon a loony radio broadcaster (Woody Harrelson) while camping with his two children in Yellowstone National Park. This hippie has more insight into the end of days, informing us that the government has "space ships" that will carry people of high importance to who knows where while the planet is busy destroying itself. This part in the film requires viewers to accept this odd coincidence and throw logic to the wayside. I previously thought of Cusack as a decent actor, and it pains me to say that in this film his acting lacks charisma and is rather monotonous, even though he is in the spotlight during the more intense scenes of the film. Even the President of the United States, played by the usually captivating Danny Glover, is bland for the most part, aside from one or two quite emotional and uplifting scenes. However, Harrelson's quirky character brings something to the film that the others have yet to bring, believability. He sounds crazy, and it's convincing.

The film continues to get more and more ridiculous. First, a tremendous earthquake hits Manhattan Beach, CA, where Curtis lives. One of the few better aspects of the film becomes evident; the special effects are very good. We watch the streets collapse, houses fall into the earth, and a large donut-shaped sign roll down the street, a reminder of better days. The fantastic graphics don't quite make up for the overall lack of talent in the actors, but they definitely capture the audience's attention for a brief time.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters continue to wreak havoc across the world. At this point even the most imaginative viewers are losing interest. Can't the world just end already? No. The main characters eventually make it aboard one of the government ships, as if we didn't see that coming. But even when you think nothing else can possibly go wrong, it does. The chaos never seems to end.

The ending is unbelievable, but then again, so was nearly the entire film, which ultimately dragged out for 2 hours and 38 minutes. All in all, the movie would have been much better if it weren't so long. It becomes extremely boring at times, and the special effects seem to be the only aspect that keeps the viewers' attention.

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