I'm not one to purchase a movie unless I love it. Well, I love this one enough to have purchased it 13 years after its release. Frankly, I'm neither a Cusack nor Harrrelson fan. However, for this film I'll make an exception! The characters endear themselves to you. This makes the story gripping. Actually seems like two separate films. The first ½ is intriguing and the second ½ is edge of your seat stuff. Get it! Watch it! Enjoy it!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The film starts in the then present year 2009. American geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) travels to India to meet his friend Satnam, who has discovered that neutrinos from a massive solar flare have penetrated the Earth and are causing the temperature of earth's core to increase rapidly. Adrian returns to Washington D.C. to inform White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) and US President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover) that this will soon culminate in a chain of events that will bring mass destruction to the earth's crust, which, in turn will snuff out man completely. After attending the 36th G8 summit in 2010, other heads of state and heads of government are made aware of the situation. They collaborate on their efforts on a secret project intended to ensure the continuity of human life, strategically choosing 400,000 people for admission on a series of gigantic ships (called arks) soon to be secretly constructed in the Himalayas. To help fund the venture, additional individuals are allowed to purchase tickets for a billion euro-dollars each. Roland Emmerich really knows how to connect the audience with the characters in this film. We even seem to care for the oddball character that Woody Harrelson plays at the Yosemite National Park, Charlie Frost. Charlie comments upon the crest, "This marks the last day of the United States of America. And, by tomorrow, all of mankind. And we will be visible from the Milky Way as a tiny little puff of smoke. I'm watching the earth crumble before my eyes. The giant ash cloud created by this super-volcano will first envelop Vegas and then St. Louis and then Chicago and then, at long last, Washington, D.C. will have its lights go out!" I was indeed not disappointed when I finally saw this at the movie theater even still a month after it was released to DVD. Viewing on the big screen gives you a much greater perspective about the total annihilation of the planet on the large screen. Some would argue that the film was presented over the top, but Roland wanted to make the biggest disaster film of all and said since it would be his last, that he wanted the film to be the biggest. Much humor was used in making this film thrown in with a sense of irony and even surprise. The subtle nuances of total secrecy, unfairness, and self preserving greed were used perfectly to play on your inner anger and extreme imaginings of conspiracy theories you find hard to swallow, yet with 2012, you can see now why anything is possible and believable first hand. John Cusack was just likable enough to believe that indeed he could get swallowed up by a crack and climb out of it. We also had a sense of satisfaction several times along the way and at the end when the story-line turns a twist and decides that death should indeed befall certain people that we may a may not have liked our even related to. This is not a children movie at all and I would not even recommend traumatizing your child with all this calamity. Even adults sometime have a hard time dealing with this sort of subject, yet most are willing to watch this kind of genre with a bit of unbelief, but still wish to know what might be the worst way for mankind to perish. The whole psychology of apocalyptic films drive us either away from our beliefs or toward them. Some may say "So what" and some may say "Oh No". Regardless, it's always best, in my opinion, to face your fears at any cost. IF YOU LIKE MY REVIEW, PLEASE VOTE.Read full review
John Cusack and Amanda Peet star in this End of the World thriller. As predicted by the Mayan Calendar, a series of events will take place on 12-21-12 that lead to the destruction of the earth. This movie is about the lives of those who will make it and those who will not. The acting is pretty good and the movie does a very good job of handling the lives of all those involved. The only down side is some of the special effects could have been a little better (Not a lot) there are a few things that take place that are just to much beyond belief. It is an excellent movie that really does show a way that the world could end. Get this one for your library.
A short review of this edition itself. It includes three discs in total: Two Blu-rays and one DVD. The movie itself is Full-HD, presented in 2.40:1, with DTS-HD Master Audio (English + French) & Dolby Digital HD (English) + Dolby Surround (English) audio streams, and English Subtitles & Captions, plus French subs. The Special Features Disc, although a Blu-ray, is not Full-HD, has just English Stereo audio stream and English subs. It has dual digital copy's, one for PC and another for PSP, via connecting it together to a PS3 Console. It has some Blu-ray exclusive extra's, plus it is BD-LIVE enabled. Also, and much important, it is Region-Free (A+B+C marks), plays perfectly on my European PS3 Slim, although i wasn't able to connect to the BD-Live special page (maybe it was just that specific momment, but i am not sure). The movie itself is spectacular disaster-action, picture can't be better than this, and the audio is as "real", as it could be to my ears. Well-worth buying and a great adition to my collection.Read full review
This movie was excellent!! I was engrossed the entire time except the very beginning. In the very beginning I was a little confused about what they were talking about but after about 5-10 min realized what was taking place. So just bare with the first 5-10min and you won't be sorry. After that it's non-stop action. You will be glued to the edge of your seat for the rest of the movie. I personally loved the movie and I am planning on watching it again this weekend. It's a great movie for the entire family, not to many swear words, but there are some. There are alot of name brand actor's in this movie, which draws you in even more. They all acted wonderfully. The graphics and clarity was impeccable. Out of 3 family members who watched it this weekend, all 3 want to see it again. So I guess this has a 100% likability. I feel the money was well spent on this movie, it's one of those you want to watch again!!!!Read full review
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