2012 (2009)

Directed by: Roland Emmerich | 165 minutes | action, drama, thriller, science fiction | Actors: John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Billingsley, George Segal, Morgan Lily, Agam Darshi, Jimi Mistry, Patrick Bauchau, Thomas McCarthy, Liam James, Johann Urb, Beatrice Rosen, Patrick Gilmore, Anna Mae Routledge, Chin Han, David Richmond-Peck, Alex Zahara, Eve Harlow, Lisa Lu, Marco Khan, Blu Mankuma, Ryan McDonald, Alexandra Castillo, Josh Robert Thompson, Zlatko Buric, Michael Karl Richards, Henry O, Chang Tseng, Jacob Blair, Ron Selmour, Geoff Gustafson, Philippe Haussmann, Eddie Hassell, Raj Lal, Osric Chau, Alexandre Haussmann, Joshua Salvati

What is the director of blockbusters like ‘Independence Day’ (1996) and ‘The Day after Tomorrow’ (2004) with another disaster film about the possible end of times, starring anti-hero John Cusack in the lead role?

Provide visual entertainment, of course. And originality? Not necessary, because the general public is no longer easily surprised; credibility? Also superfluous, because the end of time is – with all due respect to those who do believe in it – just a film reality.

Humour? That helps a lot to brighten up the boring heroism in this genre. And Roland Emmerich shows a sense of irony in the light mix of natural violence, political and social criticism that has become ‘2012’. For example, lead actor Jackson Curtis (Cusack) is a hero in cross-dressing, failed as a father and author and saddled with a temp job as the driver of a spoiled Russian billionaire (Zlatko Buric). Then save the world, and at the same time trump the man who took your place in the family and take his place again.

John Cusack plays his part with verve and relaxation: he fits him like a glove and is also in the sparkling company of Amanda Peet. The other main storyline – centered around the humane scientist Adrian Helmsley (played by the talented Chiwetel Ejiofor) – is filled with solid actors like Danny Glover (as the inevitable president of the US) and the underrated Oliver Platt (among others ‘Frost/ Nixon’). And visually we don’t get bored with ‘2012’ either. We don’t even think about frowning as Jackson and his ex-family (including stepfather) criss-cross half of LA in a limousine with a ruptured crust chasing them, only to fly between collapsing skyscrapers in a corporate jet. to fly away from the world disaster.

Top satire, as is offered in the equally apocalyptic ‘Mars Attacks’, it is not – the plot is a bit too conventional for that – but ‘2012’ does offer adequate entertainment. Towards the end, Hollywood’s penchant for a feel-good ending begins to take over and threatens to drag the film, but ‘2012’ is well worth its 165 minutes, with special mention to Woody Harrelson as the haggard conspiracy theorist. Michael Moore couldn’t have hit him better in the ‘real’ world.