2012 (2009)

Judy, whose company did some of the special effects, said this was worth seeing on the big screen, especially "when L.A. falls into the ocean." Jack and I laughed, cringed, and generally enjoyed a good part of our 3 hours in the theatre (movie is 2:38). It's not really supposed to be a comedy--perhaps it takes itself a teeny bit too seriously. But, thanks, Judy, the SFX were spectacular. And the cast! Chiwetel Ejiofor (I'll list some faves for each. Kinky Boots (2005), Melinda and Melinda (2004), Tsunami: The Aftermath (HBO - 2006), Children of Men (2006), American Gangster (2007), and especially Talk to Me (2007)), John Cusack (The Grifters (1990), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), Grosse Point Blank (1997), Pushing Tin and Being John Malkovich (both 1999), and, of course, High Fidelity (2000)), Oliver Platt (Funny Bones (1995), Pieces of April, and the depraved lawyer on Showtime's Huff (2004-06)), Danny Glover (Color Purple (1985), Grand Canyon (1991), 3 Lethal Weapon movies (1987-92), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and Blindness), Amanda Peet (Igby Goes Down (2002), Something's Gotta Give (2003), Melinda and Melinda, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (TV - 2006-07)), Thandie Newton (Crash (2004), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Run Fatboy Run (2007), and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People), George Segal (he's done so much, but I have three words and a number: Flirting with Disaster (1996)), and the only one really using his comic timing, Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers (1994), The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), No Country for Old Men (2007), and the hilarious Zombieland) as a crazy person. Gordon, the guy in the scrubs, is played by Tom McCarthy, who has done some acting, but is also the writer/director of two fabulous features, The Station Agent (2003) and The Visitor, both of which won him some Independent Spirit Awards. And fellow fans of Psych on the USA network will recognize "1987 Shawn," Liam James, as Cusack's son.

Perhaps the biggest problem was that it seemed like nearly an hour went by before anything blew up. I guess they wanted to give all those talented and expensive actors something to do. Then the earth's crust began to crumble, a city here, a mountain there, and the filmmakers took care to include recognizable landmarks amid the rubble, making it fun for anyone who knows the various locations. The stunt flying was great, too, and it became the disaster movie it was supposed to be. Last night David Letterman quipped the movie was "like a documentary," as Peet mugged for a camera in her face, demonstrating what it was like to look scared in front of a blue screen. We saw this movie because effects like these are best enjoyed on a great big screen, and the story dragged enough that we could stagger our bathroom breaks to fill each other in on the story if necessary. You can, too, but, if you have a big screen at home, you can wait for the DVD and use your pause button and your own facilities.