If there is a movie about the end of the world, I have to see it, so I did not resist when William suggested we take in 2012 this afternoon. I was not disappointed, but bear in mind I was expecting it to be not only spectacular but profoundly stupid. It was both.
It seems due do an astronomical alignment, our sun had begun emitting mutated neutrinos, which, instead of passing through the earth harmlessly, started to heat up the earth's core to unsupportable temperatures. Someone had perhaps not told the writers that mutation is a biology thing, not a physics thing, but no matter. The best part of the movie is the first hour, as we are treated (mild spoilers ahead) to seeing Los Angeles and Las Vegas both fall into giant holes in the ground. Maybe if you went to a late night show, people would actually cheer. I know I wanted to. No one was actually dying mind you; it was just revenge for the hours I have spent stuck on freeways. And a truly awe inspiring volcanic eruption when the whole of Yellowstone Park goes up.
The movie is too long. The plot is predictable and dumb. There are several moments of ridiculous political correctness (guess what is the only continent that survives, against the laws of geometry? A giant crowd of what religionists are squished when their gigantic church tips over and rolls across them?) Nevertheless, there is just something I find so satisfyingly entertaining about interrupting pompous Washington cocktail parties with grim scientific news, Air Force One barely escaping in time, really, really big waves, and so forth. You want a movie like this to have its moments of apparently unselfconscious imbecility, and this one had several. Near the end, the main scientist and man of conscience hero sits working on something technical looking at his notebook computer (Viao got the product placement on this show). Next to it sits a thick tome. Its title? Why Science of course. The movie also serves up a series of muddled moral dilemmas that are ultimately resolved through combinations of passionate ethical idiocy, gross improbability and apparent violations of the laws of physics. The mind of Hollywood in action. Indeed, there is probably no science, from ethics to geology, from astronomy to oceanography whose principles are not ravaged by this production for cheap entertainment. So be it. This is not a great movie, nor even a good movie, but it is the sort of really bad movie that says what it has to say, which is absolutely nothing, with such bombastic conviction that it is impossible not to find amusing, at least if you like that sort of thing.
I too must see every movie about the end of the world, and so contributed to this one's huge opening weekend. I would have enjoyed it more without its sanctimonious speeches.
It has no more than the usual and expected politically correct stuff. It would be great to see a parody of these movies, sort of in the "Airplane" style, or even a good parody in "The Onion".
I did love the great waves though. And the Himalayas.
Posted by: Larry | November 16, 2009 at 06:46 AM