2012 (2009)

Disaster movies are usually very popular and have long managed to thrill great numbers of people with their huge scale and awesome special effects, and since 2012 is one of the biggest and most spectacular, it will no doubt follow suit. And in terms of effects and clear, exciting filmmaking, it is admittedly well done, while an impressive, appealing cast of actors does its level best to read through the third-rate dialogue without too much eye-rolling. But anyone looking for depth of character, powerful emotional content, intelligence, poetic images, or personal expression of any kind is advised to look elsewhere. At best, it's a nearly three-hour film packed with several tons of clichés whose best features are explosions and general destruction. At worst, it's a gruesome, depressing subject as viewed from the seat of a passing roller coaster.