2012

Laura and I have uncovered a Gem in the rough of Miami. There is a movie theater right down the street. I haven't been to the movies at night for ages. It's not a great theater. It doesn't have stadium seating or the latest equipment, but it shows movies, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It's only $5 for matinees and $6 for students to see the late show. Now I can afford it! Thanks Le Jeune 6!

Last Friday we went out to see 2012 on opening night. It was an adventure. The theater was packed, we had to sit near the front. There were at least three fussy babies behind us and a group of kids in front of us who insisted on throwing their hats in the air whenever a tense moment was resolved. The audience clapped and booed and yelled back at the screen. I've never been to such a lively showing, but I was in a good mood because I only paid $6 for it.

Like the theater...the movie wasn't great, but at least it was enjoyable in its own way. I'm pretty sure this movie was concieved over a few beers one night. The conversation probably went a bit like this:

"Hey, I just went to see War of the Worlds, have you seen that yet?"
"No, who's in that"
"You haven't! It's great. Tom Cruise plays this divorced Dad who accidentally ends up with his two kids during a natural disaster of epic proportions"
"Awesome, were the special effects good?"
"They were the best! And the kids were great too--his 7 year old daughter was precocious and had strange fashion sense and his teen aged son hated him. But they all ended up being a big happy family in the end because they went through so many near death experiences together. The guy even got back with his ex wife at the end!"
"Wow, that does sound good"
"It was really touching, and the aliens were Sweet!"
"You know, I've been thinking about making an apocalyptic film myself"
"Oh, you have?"
"Yeah, and I think now I finally have a premise..."

And so on. Eventually they crafted the script for 2012 which includes a divorced dad who ends up with his kids on accident in the middle of a natural disaster. He has to save the kids, reunite them with their mother, survive countless near death experiences (a brush with a live volcano, a crash landing in the Himalayas, and a Poseidon adventure like swim of breath holding endurance), and manage to ALWAYS be in the right place at the right time.

The best approach to this movie is to expect big explosion, ridiculous science (Crust Displacement Theory?), and not much more than that. I had a good time.