Rated PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language.
Directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow)
Starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oliver Platt, Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover
Roland Emmerich loves destroying stuff, and I love watching it!
Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. '2012' is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.
Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), a part-time novelist and full-time limo driver is taking his kids on a camping trip to Yellowstone National Park. There he bumps into Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson) a radio show host and self-proclaimed conspiracy theory expert who warns him of the impending doom.
TODD’S WORD: As I walked into the theater with my two TheSource4YM.com counterparts, Jonathan and David, I expected to see some amazing special effects, intense close calls and a really dumb ending.
JONATHAN’S WORD: Hey… 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.
TODD’S WORD: Yep. Our low expectations about the ending proved to be wrong. I thought the film ended well.
JONATHAN’S WORD: And as for your other two expectations: The special effects were mind blowing. You gotta give the film makers credit—how can you make the destruction of the world look realistic? Emmerich did a bang-up job.
TODD’S WORD: From massive tidal waves to mega earthquakes, 2012 is visually stunning.
JONATHAN’S WORD: As far as those close calls, there were a veritable plethora of those.
TODD’S WORD: There were plenty of times that I found myself holding my breath. But as the film went on it seemed like they got more and more farfetched.
JONATHAN’S WORD: You nailed it Todd. That’s probably my biggest complaint with this film. Emmerich went to such lengths making each instance a close call, that it became ridiculous. How many times can a plane take off while the earth crumbles beneath it and a fireball just misses it by inches? The first time…sure. The second time…“yeah, right!” The third time…“Give me a freaking break!”
The film was strong without the close calls. The story would have been more plausible if they escaped with 60 seconds to spare instead of 60 nano-seconds.
TODD’S WORD: Exactly. The film did everything else right: strong performances, creative dialogue…we didn’t need unrealistic suspense.
JONATHAN’S WORD: At least we were wrong in predicting a dumb ending.
TODD’S WORD: I think so. The dumb ending I was expecting—based on Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow—was surprisingly absent. I won’t give it away but I thought they ended the film well.
JONATHAN’S WORD: I didn’t think those other two films ended that poorly. But I will agree that 2012 ended well.
TODD’S WORD: 2012 is completely farfetched and yet wildly entertaining…that combo makes it Theater Worthy in my book.
JONATHAN’S WORD: I agree. This is worth seeing in the theatres.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The film is relatively clean and should be fine for teenagers.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
