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November 19, 2009

Benji Tunnell: ‘2012’ callous with world destruction



It seems that everyone has an opinion on the end of the world. Nostradamus hung around well after his passing by leaving predictions dangling over our heads. Cults have sprung up around charismatic leaders who claim to know the time and day of the end; the followers usually collapse upon themselves in a pile of bodies and empty Kool-Aid cups.

So it makes sense, I suppose, that a movie be built around one of these end times predictions, and since there aren’t too many full blooded Mayans around to get offended, their apocalyptic foreshadowing would make perfect film fodder if placed in the right hands.

Instead, it is placed in the hands of Roland Emmerich, the director who has punished viewers with sludge such as “Godzilla” and “10,000 BC.” I bet the Mayans would be fuming.

“2012” is based loosely on the belief long held by fringe thinkers and Art Bell fans that the destruction of the world will coincide with the end of the Mayan calendar. They mix a little pseudo-science in there to attempt to add credibility, but that’s the gist of the plot.

At this point, I would go into detail about the characters and their back stories, but really, what’s the point? This movie is about the destruction of the earth, and if you buy a ticket, you are there strictly to see the decimation of mankind.

This destruction is probably where I have the most issues with this movie. For what it is, it is very effective. Check your brain at the door and resign yourself to vacuous entertainment, and you most likely won’t be disappointed.

However, I found the experience to be a bit off-putting. Maybe it’s because the death of what is projected to be 7 billion people by this time is used as a backdrop to sell popcorn and special effects.

It’s the callousness in which the events are handled that bothers me. We witness, in essence, almost a complete eradication of the human species, and we are expected to ooh and aah over the spectacle without thinking about the actual consequences.

The characters witnessing this on screen are shocked at first, but then seem to find a new routine, making time to chat and make jokes, to make dates and kiss.

I suppose I should have been more prepared for this. After all, Emmerich is the guy responsible for “The Day After Tomorrow,” another mindless journey to man’s extinction.

But it was watching the scene in Los Angeles as earthquakes began tearing the city apart that caught me off guard. Nestled between cuts of bridges collapsing and trucks slamming into gas pumps, we see two twin buildings collapsing in on each other while those inside fall to their deaths.

It seems to me that Emmerich was borrowing a little too heavily from one of the greatest atrocities to befall this country.

So, here’s the question: Is it good? Well, for what it was, it was OK. Overly bloated with pointless exposition, it was slow in getting to the meat of the story. The special effects are phenomenal.

But the end result is an empty product, leaving you awed momentarily and then feeling dirty about it later.

Address correspondence to Benji Tunnell, c/o The Joplin Globe,

P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802 or benjitunnell@gmail.com.

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