2012 ***

The first half of 2012 has the makings of a typical disaster movie: warning signs, character introduction, and then characters in peril. This is the fourth big-budget disaster movie directed by Roland Emmerich, whose Independence Day was brilliant and whose Godzilla I’m convinced was released unfinished. 2012 is good but not great, almost serving as an improved remake of his last foray into the genre, The Day After Tomorrow.

This time around we get John Cusack (score!) playing Jackson Curtis, the ordinary man who finds himself in extraordinary times. Jackson is a writer and divorced father of two, and when he gets the opportunity to take his kids camping in Yellowstone, he learns some key information. First, he stumbles onto some restricted grounds and meets Dr. Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a geologist working for the federal government who has already discovered that the world is quickly coming to an end. Coincidentally, Dr. Helmsley is reading Jackson’s book Farewell Atlantis. Second, Jackson meets Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), a crazy radio broadcaster living in the park who tells him about how the Mayans predicted the end of the world in 2012. And the government knows, Charlie says, “they’re building spaceships.” Yeah, right.

After the setup, the movie kicks into high gear as Jackson races back to his southern California home to rescue his ex-wife (Amanda Peet), kids, and “the other guy.” The special effects are some of the most impressive in film, though the movie relies almost completely on green screen instead of a healthy mixture of models and sets. After narrowly escaping certain death by only fractions of a second about a half dozen times, the main characters find themselves in a third act that’s too isolated. The first two thirds of the film are a joy to watch, but the last third drags a bit. After what we’ve seen, we just don’t believe that the characters are in danger, especially when it seems like the impending doom is moving in slow motion.

The filmmakers could have shaved twenty minutes off the nearly 2 hours and 45 minutes running time and nobody would have complained. But as disaster movies go, Emmerich likes them big and bold, and 2012 does not disappoint.