Review for 2012

Looking for visual impact and computer-generated special effects? Then 2012 is your cup of tea. You can experience earthquake, flood and explosion of volcanic without risking your life. Want to see character development and philosophical reflections at the end of our world? OK, forget it—2012 is just a Hollywood blockbuster.

Yes, 2012 does not get rid of the American hit film stereotype. It is still about visual impacts, computer-generated special effects, leading-player-never-die-rule and how the American secure the world. But actually its story deserves a much better filming: based on the Mayan culture prediction of Doomsday, this film tells exhibits the struggling for survival of a divorced man Jackson Curtis and his ex-wife and kids. It is an epic story, which could have been filmed in a better way—how do people view their life at the last minute, what is the most important thing for human being at the end of world… But unfortunately the director makes it in the Hollywood-box-office-smash way: no hard thoughts, just feast for eyes.

Hollywood knows well about the weapon to win the audience—Computer-generated special effects. If you ignore the logic of the story, 2012 actually has provided to the audience what a hit film should equip. Earth shakes and opens, swallows thousands of people and buildings; Volcanic erupts, with angry flames and smokes going out just like what is pictured in mythology when the God is angry; water shouts and submerges lots of lands and life—All these are so real and alive that you begin to wonder whether the director shoots it from a natural disaster in somewhere or it is just made by the computer. Obviously Hollywood is an expert in commercial hot film. OK, 10 score in visual impacts.

However, sorry for Hollywood, when it pays much attention to make all the computer tricks look real and vivid, it ignores the development and the logic of the story. We see a made-in-China spaceship without any Chinese, a Tibet elder who can barely speak adequate Mandarin understand English, the strong life of the leading player no matter it is in earthquake, explosion of volcanic or flood. The scene people are struggling in disaster easily reminds the audience of the Titanic, but it is far away from what that film has achieved. The director pays so much attention to picture how our lucky and brave leading player escapes from one disaster from another that it almost looks like a video game on XBOX360.

Still, it gets its brilliant segment. When the flood pours in, the monk calmly waits in the mountaintop. No fear, no fluster, he slowly rings the bell. The camera then pans out to show the whole view of the mountain—life is so fragile compared with the power of the nature, but people’s view towards it make their life so strong and meaningful. The director wins on this segment.

All in all, it is a good entertaining film, and it does not forget to describe the overall political environment: the USA is falling, China is growing up! Go to China, learn Chinese and make Chinese friends. Flattery for Chinese, jokes for a disaster film. View 2012 as an entertaining film, you score it 10; try to dig out humanism and heavy thoughts from the director? Oh, come on, you know it is just a Hollywood blockbuster.