"2012" (Or "How I Still Love Cusack, Even Though He Made A Bomb")

The movie "2012" came out this week, and I sure was lucky enough to have gotten my copy from Netflix. [Please watch the sarcasm dripping on the floor -- I wouldn't want you to slip and hurt yourself.]

As you can tell, I'm not a fan of it. With a running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, you'd think a new idea would pop-up somewhere? But sorry, no.

If you don't know the story already, here's the synopsis: "An epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors." The movies that I believe he ripped-off are [in no order, just like his movie]: "Poseidon Adventure", "Deep Impact" and/or "Armageddon" (historical sites blowing up), "Earthquake", "Flood", and portions of "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (bible movie, part about Noah). That's fine and dandy. If the guy wants to make a movie about the end of the world, go for it. But at least you'd think he'd have a unique idea about it -- he didn't.

Now as for the actors, well I'm thinking it had to be about the money. Woody Harrelson I can understand -- he's a character and he played a character. But John Cusack? I love him, he's a really good actor, one of my top three favorites, but -- wow. Did he really want to act against a blue screen? I'm still scratching my head about it. I don't think he wants to be a part of the "action hero" crew. His biography kind of proves that. Yeah he did "Con Air" (which was a good movie, good script, good actors, really a fun movie [Malkovich chewing-up the scenery]) and the same year he did "Grosse Pointe Blank" (which definitely was a "shoot-em-up" movie, but no big special effects); other than that, I don't think he did any other movies like this. Oh well, hopefully in the future he'll come upon a huge special effects movie that's worth him.

This movie was directed by Roland Emmerich (one of the many "shoot-em up, pow, bang" directors that are out there now). Here's his biography so far: "Universal Soldier" (proved that he has an idea -- okay); "Stargate" (proved he has some more interesting ideas in his head -- good job); "Independence Day" ([sort of] proving that he's not a one-idea kind of guy -- good job); "Godzilla" (remake; "stick a fork in him folks, he's done"); "Patriot" (no wait, he's still got something to give to us -- good job); "The Day After Tomorrow" (wait folks, he tripped-up a bit); and "10,000 B.C." and "2012" (fell into the fire head first; th-th-th-that's all folks). I read somewhere (I think it was on IMDB) that he has stated that this was going to be his last big effects-laden movie. Well, anyway, one can hope.

With that, I'm out-of-here. Off to see The Illegal for my bi-weekly fix of comics. More later, Booboo.