@maximuslaurius I disagree, Independence Day was a great blockbuster popcorn movie, it really was, it was the first of its kind to bring the destruction to Earth on such a level.
Will Smith gave a charismatic, funny performance, the film never took itself too seriously, the plot was simple and uncomplicated and actually made sense, there was no bizarre backstory or long explanation bits. It was spectacular, well directed and really good fun, it did EXACTLY what a good disaster movie should!
the only real shock to me is that Mark Kermode can review this crap in a kind of academically rigorous way. He is very funny but you can't help but think that sometimes you may be in the mood for a crap movie after a couple of beers on a Friday night. You don't necessarily want 'an important' film or a 'thought provoking' film - you just want some tat to pass the time. Films are for entertainment - documentaries or boos are for information. Rant over !
Kim Newman (Empire) and Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian) both said that 2012 is somewhere between unwatchable and unmissable. Absolutely right, because its so fundamentally terrible, there is certainly a level of enjoyment towards the film.
haha i love the good doctor's platitudinous, patronising carl sagen-esque 'message voice', sums up the tone of these latter day effects movies brilliantly
The worst thing about the movie: His ex-wife has a new partner who is nice to the kids, nice to her, helps fly a plane which saves all of their lives later, has glasses. The main character is a failed author, a failed husband and a failed father, yet he gets himself back into contention by doing ABSOLUTELY FUCK ALL!!! Then the stupid mysogenistic portrayal of the weak and feable woman's new partner is killed horribly, and NO ONE GIVES A SHIT. What a fucking suprise!
2012 was actually a good movie. It was great as a disaster movie. The ending was kinda weird. You missed the point! It's not called 2012 for a money reason. Did you miss the beginning of the movie?! The Mayan calender ends in 2012 and since the Mayans were far beyond their time, they should know what happens and what to make before anyone else does. So, when the calender ends, what some say, the world will end. Learn what you're talking about before you review. They explained it in the beginning
@TroutMaskReplicaa I respect both your and kermodeanamayo's opinions. What made me mad was that he said that the title, 2012, was how long they were going to keep doing stuff for this movie. If he paid attention to the first 30 or less minutes, he would know why it's called 2012.
@ellbo2 1) I respect your opinion. I liked 2012, you didn't. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. 2) I know the world won't end in 2012. I just stated that because that is what some dumbasses stated after finding the Mayan calendar.
@Ryanmiller70 I respect your opinion as well, but apart from the visuals the film lacked everything. As I have started to devlop an intrest in film, I've become more critical of them.
This film was just a mish-mash of other disaster films. You have the day after tomorrow, the core, the posidon adventure, volcano, dantes peak, Armadgeddon & deep impact.
Watch the film and you will see just an endless parade of cut'n'paste scenes from those previous films, films which could are actually better (yes, even the core!).
Emmerich films all look the same. If you watch them carefully they have the same formula, the same scenes; scenes with loads of people gathered around a TV; TV news anchor men and women getting guest shots explaining the plot; family traumas laid out at the beginning of the film are resolved by the end. Blah. blah. I saw 'The Day After Tomorrow' and I thought it takes immense talent to make cataclysmic climate change look ball bouncingly dull. Independence Day is the only one I liked.
I used to go to Saturday morning cinema at the ABC Arnos Grove, my Dad also took me to see Dougal and the Blue Cat there, that was before it was sold to the Jehovah's Witnesses, what a waste.
I used to go to Saturday morning cinema at the ABC Arnos Grove, my Dad also took me to see Dougal and the Blue Cat there, that was before it was sold to the Jehovah's Witnesses, what a waste.
well you have to give the movie credit for at least one thing: everything that could go wrong with the planet did go wrong. I mean 2012 is like the disaster movie to end all disaster movies. The only thing that didn't happen is for the planet to be split in two and the sun to blow up. That's about the only thing that could top it :))
I can safely say this is one of the worst films ive seen in the last few years. Embarrasing on all levels and a real effort to sit through. If you want a proper disaster movie watch the Towering Inferno or even Indepence Day. It may have been cheesy but at least it was fun.
the world was ending on december 21..wtf...the olympics are in the summer..not even the paralympics happen in decmber..emmerich is fuckin idiot...i dont know how they keep giving this guy money to make make mvies..ssomeone should shoot emmerich for the crap he bestows upon the world..different toilet but its always the same shit
I think that in the past disaster films were partly about the disaster, but also partly about the struggles of the characters (such as in "Towering Inferno").
Today disaster films are just about the disaster and the special fx, and little else.
I won't blame "young/new" film-makers, since Spielberg did the same with "War of the Worlds".
2nd hour world leaders arguing. One guy warns the world about the destruction but no one believes him.
3rd hour finally the world is destroyed, we get the mandatory scenes of iconic landmarks getting destroyed, protagonists survive, they give a speech about hope, they mourn the dead, and everybody becomes a better person.
Hey MrHokeykokey I couldn't agree with you more. I recently got the French Connection on DVD andwatched it for the first time in probably 15 years and the car chase was totally breathtaking and left me feling quite shattered (I am a professional driver so it has a more pointed effect,perhaps) On the other hand I recently watched Knowing and apart froma brief sharp intake of breath as the plane dropped out of the sky I found myself thinking"Nice CGI" not "Wow - how the hell did they DO THAT!!"
Hi MartinandFreddie, yeah thats exactly what I was trying to describe: That physical, gut-reaction is what always seems to be missing whenever I see an obvious CGI scene in a movie.
I saw this rubbish today. Won't bother harping on about the numerous flaws, of which there are an infinite number. I'll just say this: I refuse to feel sorry for these actors. I was tempted to at first, as if John Cusack et al had been held at gunpoint to stand in front of Herr Emmerich's green screen, but then I read this film had a $200 million budget and a great many millions of that had to find their way into these actors bank accounts. They're all whores.
the effect were even ruined because of characters making one liners when skypscrapers were about to fall on them and Cusack suddenly turning into a stunt driver... it was contrived crappy nonesense. 2001: A Space Oddysey has miles better effects and is actually a great film in itself.
People went to old Jackie Chan films to see the stunts. They go to Woody Allen films because of the dialog. They go to Emmerich films because of the CGI. Get over it.
If he's a critic, so am I. I am suggesting he get over his opinion that the craft of visual effects is some kind of button-pushing exercise, and to realize that actually it is something that is hard to do well - like cinematography, music, acting, editing etc etc. All of which are huge artifices... as CGI is.
"Colossal moron"? Nice. What a fabulous correspondent you are.
...and, on re-reading my post that you responded to so eloquently, the phrase "Get over it" was directed at people who can't comprehend that other people might go to see a movie like 2012 because of the spectacle, the effects. Did people whine about the lack of character development in "Live and Let Die"? Did they bleat about the lack of explosions in "Annie Hall"? Movies occupy niches, and if you are going to see "2012" expecting nuanced character arcs and wonderful dialog - you are a fool.
Not really, not quite... I am sure it is a maddeningly crappy film. I detest the Transformers films... What I'm arguing against is the criticism of CGI for it's own sake. CGI is just a tool. And viewing great spectacular visual effects gives me as much pleasure as other people may get from watching physical stunts.
Hi padster123, you make alot of good points re people's expectations of movies (annie hall, etc), but I thought I should point out that I personally wasn't belittling CGI as an art. I agree it takes alot of skill to create the effects in blockbuster movies, and I do enjoy the visual effects, but the point i was making was that you just don't get that same instant gut reaction, that heart-in-mouth feeling, from a CGI stunt that you do from a "real" stunt...
...(cont) e.g. If I see a CGI car chase I will be enjoying the scene and appreciating the visual spectacle but no matter how inventive or over the top it is it won't make me react physically, whereas if you watch the car chase scene in French Connection for example, not only are you enjoying the scene but your pulse starts racing and your body tenses because you know that the risky driving that you're watching did actualy happen in reality to a certain extent, do you see what I mean?
I do see what you mean, but stunts are fake too. Just out of shot, there's a team of guys with wires, crash mats etc. Poor wire work (eg most recent Jackie Chan films) are as irritating to me as poor CGI is to anyone else. It's all artifice. Like studio lighting. Fake fake fake. It's the movies: nothing is real. Turn the camera round... there's a hundred people stood around wearing body warmers, and speaking into walkie talkies. What suspends disbelief is good story-telling, and cutting.
I think you've more or less hit the nail on the head with your last sentence. It all boils down to "suspension of disbelief". Your right in saying that an obvious stunt is just as irritating as obvious CGI, but this is because anything that suddenly brings your mind out of the film and back into the reality that you're watching a movie amounts to bad story-telling on the directors part. This is why I hate bad (obvious) CGI, because it will look so out of place that it bursts the bubble...
...(cont) It shatters the suspension-of-disbelief because your brain says, "Hey that's a big CGI truck! Oh yeah, I'm watching a movie!!!" lol. Obviously, this criticism doesn't apply as much to fantasy/animated movies because your brain has already accepted that step away from reality. For me the best CGI is the subtle stuff that ironically goes by totally unnoticed and therefore doesn't burst the bubble (e.g. the stuff in Gladiator). P.S. Thanks for an interesting discussion.
By the way that made me think of another point re CGI....I feel really sorry for all those professional animatronics experts and professional stuntpeople who spent years perfecting their skills only to be made redundant by the growing CGI industry over the past decade. I know people have to move with times etc etc, but it must be gutting for someone who dedicated their life to animatronic special effects only to find their career destroyed by producers who nearly always opt for CGI nowadays.
So, CGI requires "no skill at all". "You just draw it".
If Kermode thinks this, he has next to no comprehension of a large part of modern film making craft. I'm really staggered that a critic with any credibility could say such a ridiculous thing.
It's OK if he wants to make the point that the visual effects weren't well directed, and didn't serve to make a better story, a better film. In this case, I'd agree. But to say that CG work like this is easy - I'm sorry, Kermode, you are an idiot.
@padster123 To be fair, Mark DID apologise for saying that in subsequent podcasts. He agreed that CG DOES take talent. Like anything else, CG requires talent, but also an appreciation for where and how it should be used most effectively.
I'd like to see an end of the world movie where everyone turns on each other, the nicest people die and the worst people live, but in the end everything is messed up forever and all the plans so save people fail. From a non American perspective
I went in getting ready to hate this after listening to Marks critique. However I must say that I had to check myself as I couldn't wipe the smile off my face most of the way through this overlong ride...
The olympics do get mentioned and the mayans get mentioned as well. I agree that the movie was poor, but Mark, you really should get your facts straight if you are going to review a movie.
It's so true what he says about CGI v real stunts. I'm left totally unmoved by action scenes nowaday's cos you just think to yourself "Thats all basically just a big 3D drawing, big deal!" There are no "WOW, how did they do that?!!" moments in films anymore like there used to be.
e.g: a) "Roger Moore" ski's off the edge of a mountain, removes his skis, and opens a parachute... WOW!!!
v.s b) Piers Brosnan FAKE surfs on top of a FAKE tidal wave while holding a FAKE parachute. BOLLOCKS!
Funny that this is a movie that relegates other countries to foreigners with funny accents considering that the director is a German with a funny accent.
I just got home from seeing it. I thought it was hilarious. All the action scenes are incredibly far over the top and beyond any semblance of reality, all the dialogue and characters are incredibly cheesy and dumb, and huge portions of the plot are nonsensical and idiotic. It really makes it feel that it is actually some kind of lampoon of big budget movies more than a genuine attempt at a real movie.
The 2012 London Olympics DO GET MENTIONED, how could you forget this, Mark Kermode?!
Anyway, loved the movie. Oscar for best special FX. Gorgeous destruction and great exploitation movie. And ignorant people, it's not all CGI, there are some great practical FX.
Well that's very humble of you Grayhound. And in case you encounter any British snobbishness, let me just apologise in advance, in case you encounter our abominable Sex Lives of the Potato Men.
I agree, though considering that the Coens and P.T. Anderson and Scorsese and (to a lesser extent) Quentin Tarantino are still around I don't think it's as hopeless as it seems. :)
I hate myself for saying it, but I loved it XD I wouldn't watch it at home, but .. it was mainly the CGI! The plane flying thru the carnage was just awesome!
I've very much not worried about the Mayan calendar ending ...
Not since my music teacher in 1985 have I heard the words 'flippity jibbert'. Thanks Mark, any relation to a Mrs Oldfield? I heard she had a breakdown in 1989 over the confusion one of her pupils had with the difference between a chromatic semitone and diatonic semitone. Great review, music to my ears.
Thank you Worst Actor in the World. You are the final seal of approval on my prejudicial review of this film being terrible. I will NOT be going to see this.
When CGI becomes just a crutch for lame films with no storyline, that's when I really get disillusioned with it, don't get me wrong, I was bowled over when CGI came out in films like Jurassic Park and IMHO it can still work wonders in films like LOTR, Pan's Labyrinth and some Pixar films, but for me Hollywood is relying on it to carry mediocre films far too much.
I love the way he's widely gesticulating and getting animated whilst Mayo is barely paying any attention ha ha.
wonderbhoy1967 2 days ago
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MrHopeTelevision 1 month ago
@MrHopeTelevision I thought I smelled something worse... then your comment came along :-)
othyization 1 month ago
That car stunt was from The Man With the Golden Gun not Live and Let Die.
dtpc191991 1 month ago
@dtpc191991 t
hat was the alligator stunt in live and let die
etocadet 1 month ago
@etocadet
Yup!!!
dtpc191991 1 month ago
One of worst films I have ever seen.
Say goodbye to your brain cells, 'cause you ain't getting them back after this.
vivena9 2 months ago
Independence Day was dreadful, Mark is having another 'Twilight' moment.
This film was 2 hours of planes taking off and landing.
maximuslaurius 2 months ago
@maximuslaurius I disagree, Independence Day was a great blockbuster popcorn movie, it really was, it was the first of its kind to bring the destruction to Earth on such a level.
Will Smith gave a charismatic, funny performance, the film never took itself too seriously, the plot was simple and uncomplicated and actually made sense, there was no bizarre backstory or long explanation bits. It was spectacular, well directed and really good fun, it did EXACTLY what a good disaster movie should!
JackRabbitSlim 1 month ago 2
the only real shock to me is that Mark Kermode can review this crap in a kind of academically rigorous way. He is very funny but you can't help but think that sometimes you may be in the mood for a crap movie after a couple of beers on a Friday night. You don't necessarily want 'an important' film or a 'thought provoking' film - you just want some tat to pass the time. Films are for entertainment - documentaries or boos are for information. Rant over !
francisjtuk 2 months ago
He really likes Independence Day?! Oh dear Mark...
orkavorn 4 months ago 4
BOOMER WILL LIVE... Oh, wrong movie.
aquapendulum 5 months ago 5
It's a bad disaster movie - but it's a pretty good comedy about disaster movies.
andrewsurtees 5 months ago
The Latinos have mutated... and they're heating up the planet.
TEQUILA!
Rain13Dog 7 months ago 6
Terminator Salivation - one of the funniest thing's the good doctor has said.
MrShadyJeff 7 months ago 4
Kim Newman (Empire) and Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian) both said that 2012 is somewhere between unwatchable and unmissable. Absolutely right, because its so fundamentally terrible, there is certainly a level of enjoyment towards the film.
"It's Russian, eh?"
filmotel 7 months ago
Lord almighty, the flappy hands at 8:14. One expects him to break out into some sort of routine.
Motor42CD 8 months ago
i thought the first hour of independance was good,then it just went to total shit
sislacs 9 months ago
Well, the composer wrote the movie. He also wrote 10,000 B.C.
TheTruth006 9 months ago
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jonner22 9 months ago
Don't ever fucking kill the dog. I'm alright with people dying, but kill the dog and I'll be depressed for a week.
pellypates 9 months ago
yeah cgi is not the same thing as stunts. stunt ppl are running out of work due to the cgi menace.
BRm2008 10 months ago
i have no problem with kids dying ina flick if they are lttle shits
BRm2008 10 months ago
THE LATINOS ARE MUTATING!!!
eiremocroi 10 months ago 4
3 headed hydra coming out the back of a jet plane. what a funny fucker
andymc24 10 months ago
Dog getting out of teh fire was also showcased in Independence Day.
phuturephunk 10 months ago
CGI requires no skill eh? I think theres some digital animators who might have something to say about that...
LightspeedJack 11 months ago
The dog is a much sought after Holywood actor, famed for a marvelous stunt in a burning tunnel in Independence Day.
algildea 1 year ago 2
The London Olympics do get mentioned, Dr Kermode. I'm Right, You're Wrong.
jawjawelllll 1 year ago 3
I enjoyed the movie. :( Although I wish there wasn't so many Wisconsin jokes in it...seeing as I'm from said state. :|
Miser1983 1 year ago
haha i love the good doctor's platitudinous, patronising carl sagen-esque 'message voice', sums up the tone of these latter day effects movies brilliantly
seano19 1 year ago 2
The worst thing about the movie: His ex-wife has a new partner who is nice to the kids, nice to her, helps fly a plane which saves all of their lives later, has glasses. The main character is a failed author, a failed husband and a failed father, yet he gets himself back into contention by doing ABSOLUTELY FUCK ALL!!! Then the stupid mysogenistic portrayal of the weak and feable woman's new partner is killed horribly, and NO ONE GIVES A SHIT. What a fucking suprise!
merton8181 1 year ago 20
@merton8181
Hilarious review! Now for the bad news : you make me want to watch it.
PurushaDesa 1 year ago
My only experience of this film was walking in on my older brother watching it, there was some stunt scene involving cars falling out of a plane
"Wait for the manufacturer close-up"
BOOOM
Chrysler
ehmazin 1 year ago 2
@ehmazin After watching it i decided not to buy a chrysler, they fall out of planes...
merton8181 1 year ago
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ehmazin 1 year ago
kermode is a genius
roloug95 1 year ago
The dog is from "The Day After Tomorrow"
Great review Mark!
mastershake99999 1 year ago
The dog is from "The Day After Tomorrow"
mastershake99999 1 year ago
excellent review - rubbish film
BoutrasBoutrasGhali 1 year ago
It was The Man with The Golden Gun, Mr Kermode, not Live and Let Die
NickEdwardable 1 year ago
07:30
"get out, i'm the Queen and i'm bringing my corgi's!"
classic
JERRYATRIX2 1 year ago
independence day is terrible. what are you talking about kermode
ZAMPAROAD 1 year ago
The dog jumps out of the way of an inferno in Independence Day. It's a retriever or a labrador.
FakePlasticJames 1 year ago
@FakePlasticJames
It's a Labrador Retriever.
opmike343 1 year ago
Comment removed
EmpireLS56KW 1 year ago
2012 was actually a good movie. It was great as a disaster movie. The ending was kinda weird. You missed the point! It's not called 2012 for a money reason. Did you miss the beginning of the movie?! The Mayan calender ends in 2012 and since the Mayans were far beyond their time, they should know what happens and what to make before anyone else does. So, when the calender ends, what some say, the world will end. Learn what you're talking about before you review. They explained it in the beginning
Ryanmiller70 1 year ago
@Ryanmiller70 it's a shit film. I actually couldn't fall asleep during film despite trying, it's fucking terrible.
TroutMaskReplicaa 1 year ago
@TroutMaskReplicaa I respect both your and kermodeanamayo's opinions. What made me mad was that he said that the title, 2012, was how long they were going to keep doing stuff for this movie. If he paid attention to the first 30 or less minutes, he would know why it's called 2012.
Ryanmiller70 1 year ago
@Ryanmiller70 1) 2012 is not a good movie 2) World will not end in 2012.
ellbo2 1 year ago
@ellbo2 1) I respect your opinion. I liked 2012, you didn't. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. 2) I know the world won't end in 2012. I just stated that because that is what some dumbasses stated after finding the Mayan calendar.
Ryanmiller70 1 year ago
@Ryanmiller70 I respect your opinion as well, but apart from the visuals the film lacked everything. As I have started to devlop an intrest in film, I've become more critical of them.
ellbo2 1 year ago
I love it, how theres actually the line "How much time do we have, Dr -----------?"
CLICHE!
TheRandyChimp 1 year ago
I'm surprised Mr.Kermode didn't see that this Cusack role was actually Cusack_as_Hoffman.. They even put him in the right wardrobe for Hoffman.
Deckard439984r 1 year ago
This film was just a mish-mash of other disaster films. You have the day after tomorrow, the core, the posidon adventure, volcano, dantes peak, Armadgeddon & deep impact.
Watch the film and you will see just an endless parade of cut'n'paste scenes from those previous films, films which could are actually better (yes, even the core!).
soundslave 1 year ago
2012 just got merked!
1234kakman 1 year ago
The film was shit. Nothing more than a loose remake of "When Worlds Collide" a classic 1950s Sci-Fi film.
However at least I saw AVATAR less than a Month later- that was OK.
As for 2010 come on where are the above average releases- everythings been shot this year.
MegaPhoenixBird 1 year ago
lol he said Terminator: Salavation
lmen1990 1 year ago
independance day is shit
TheHappydead 1 year ago 2
Emmerich films all look the same. If you watch them carefully they have the same formula, the same scenes; scenes with loads of people gathered around a TV; TV news anchor men and women getting guest shots explaining the plot; family traumas laid out at the beginning of the film are resolved by the end. Blah. blah. I saw 'The Day After Tomorrow' and I thought it takes immense talent to make cataclysmic climate change look ball bouncingly dull. Independence Day is the only one I liked.
sulijoo 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I used to go to Saturday morning cinema at the ABC Arnos Grove, my Dad also took me to see Dougal and the Blue Cat there, that was before it was sold to the Jehovah's Witnesses, what a waste.
diamonddiver 1 year ago
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I used to go to Saturday morning cinema at the ABC Arnos Grove, my Dad also took me to see Dougal and the Blue Cat there, that was before it was sold to the Jehovah's Witnesses, what a waste.
diamonddiver 1 year ago
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diamonddiver 1 year ago
as far as disaster movies go, it was great.
Saw it twice in a move theater. Everybody dies, it was awesome.
vasya111 1 year ago
... going to get crust movement ... so the pa... everything's go... the thing go... a... pchcht ... here's a clip that'll explain it.
akayplayer 1 year ago 29
atleast snakes on a plane killed the dog! i loved that bit :)
Mardal 1 year ago
well you have to give the movie credit for at least one thing: everything that could go wrong with the planet did go wrong. I mean 2012 is like the disaster movie to end all disaster movies. The only thing that didn't happen is for the planet to be split in two and the sun to blow up. That's about the only thing that could top it :))
sorin7486 1 year ago
Kermode got it wrong. The Bond stunt is in The Man with the Golden Gun not Live and Let Die.
Mankind081 1 year ago
Watched this film last night and got so bored with it watch the second half at 2x speed and you know what, it was much better. Still crap though.
Criminology2009 1 year ago
worst. movie. ever.
NairuBergman 1 year ago
they do mention the olympics..according to the movie they happen in december ..i mean its one thing 2 be historically inaccurate
tenseman08 1 year ago
I can safely say this is one of the worst films ive seen in the last few years. Embarrasing on all levels and a real effort to sit through. If you want a proper disaster movie watch the Towering Inferno or even Indepence Day. It may have been cheesy but at least it was fun.
mrbain123 2 years ago
So right about Daleks' Invasion of Earth - 2150 AD.
BlackMoonLilith 2 years ago
2012 was a task to sit through. Poorly directed, poorly written, poorly acted, Roland Emmerich is losing his touch, if he ever had one.
trentkill 2 years ago
Roland Emmerich has been and always will be a turd peddler
Onemanjim 2 years ago
THANK FUCK, this guy nails why stunts use to be so good and now sg sucks
stcolreplover 2 years ago
heh, the Olympics did get mentioned. Easy to miss of course.
CyberDeadly 2 years ago
the world was ending on december 21..wtf...the olympics are in the summer..not even the paralympics happen in decmber..emmerich is fuckin idiot...i dont know how they keep giving this guy money to make make mvies..ssomeone should shoot emmerich for the crap he bestows upon the world..different toilet but its always the same shit
tenseman08 1 year ago
The car flip was from MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN not LIVE AND LET DIE.
And yes, i agree with this review. Terrible movie.
chevchelios72 2 years ago
"flibbergibbet"
scudder91 2 years ago
THE RUSSIAN MAN DIES
slimshadyfan4ever 2 years ago 4
2012 is a comedy film
The Queen and her corgi's were in it!!!
why is it 2 and a half hours long?
jeff9868 2 years ago
He's wrong about the olympics. They were mentioned. In a CNN cut, it mentioned that the 30th olympics had been cancelled.
primus103 2 years ago
I think that in the past disaster films were partly about the disaster, but also partly about the struggles of the characters (such as in "Towering Inferno").
Today disaster films are just about the disaster and the special fx, and little else.
I won't blame "young/new" film-makers, since Spielberg did the same with "War of the Worlds".
Webins 2 years ago
Any movie with Amanda Peet is worth a watch! <3 lol Just kidding. ;) I haven't seen it yet. It indeed seems kinda predictable, though.
Mystandrain 2 years ago
This film is great. Go to the cinema, switch off your phone and disconnect your brain and you'll enjoy it if you don't think too deeply.
It is a bit long though.
bobbyladd 2 years ago
just from the trailers I can tell:
1st hour of the movie is boring crap
2nd hour world leaders arguing. One guy warns the world about the destruction but no one believes him.
3rd hour finally the world is destroyed, we get the mandatory scenes of iconic landmarks getting destroyed, protagonists survive, they give a speech about hope, they mourn the dead, and everybody becomes a better person.
MrTraitorX 2 years ago 36
Dr K obviously was out for a piss when they mentioned that the 2012 olympics were cancelled.
He's fundamentally right though, it's a shit film.
jmorrison230582 2 years ago
What? Can't kill a dog? Alienate the who? I'm gonna make a short film just about dogs being killed, while humans survive.
allaboutdmagic 2 years ago
I'd like to reserve a seat please. Could it be also that Russian "EVIL!!!!!!" man lives?
dunsedog 2 years ago
Hey MrHokeykokey I couldn't agree with you more. I recently got the French Connection on DVD andwatched it for the first time in probably 15 years and the car chase was totally breathtaking and left me feling quite shattered (I am a professional driver so it has a more pointed effect,perhaps) On the other hand I recently watched Knowing and apart froma brief sharp intake of breath as the plane dropped out of the sky I found myself thinking"Nice CGI" not "Wow - how the hell did they DO THAT!!"
MartinandFreddie 2 years ago
Hi MartinandFreddie, yeah thats exactly what I was trying to describe: That physical, gut-reaction is what always seems to be missing whenever I see an obvious CGI scene in a movie.
MrHokeykokey 2 years ago
Mark, the James Bond stunt you described is from THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, not LIVE AND LET DIE.
cominatya3d 2 years ago
I know you just made a mistake but I wanted to clear that up.
cominatya3d 2 years ago
I saw this rubbish today. Won't bother harping on about the numerous flaws, of which there are an infinite number. I'll just say this: I refuse to feel sorry for these actors. I was tempted to at first, as if John Cusack et al had been held at gunpoint to stand in front of Herr Emmerich's green screen, but then I read this film had a $200 million budget and a great many millions of that had to find their way into these actors bank accounts. They're all whores.
billfenner1967 2 years ago 2
the effect were even ruined because of characters making one liners when skypscrapers were about to fall on them and Cusack suddenly turning into a stunt driver... it was contrived crappy nonesense. 2001: A Space Oddysey has miles better effects and is actually a great film in itself.
grtas1 2 years ago
People went to old Jackie Chan films to see the stunts. They go to Woody Allen films because of the dialog. They go to Emmerich films because of the CGI. Get over it.
padster123 2 years ago
"Get over it"? What the hell is that supposed to mean? He's a film critic. He's meant to give his opinions on films, you colossal moron.
arguingplentifully 2 years ago 2
If he's a critic, so am I. I am suggesting he get over his opinion that the craft of visual effects is some kind of button-pushing exercise, and to realize that actually it is something that is hard to do well - like cinematography, music, acting, editing etc etc. All of which are huge artifices... as CGI is.
"Colossal moron"? Nice. What a fabulous correspondent you are.
padster123 2 years ago
...and, on re-reading my post that you responded to so eloquently, the phrase "Get over it" was directed at people who can't comprehend that other people might go to see a movie like 2012 because of the spectacle, the effects. Did people whine about the lack of character development in "Live and Let Die"? Did they bleat about the lack of explosions in "Annie Hall"? Movies occupy niches, and if you are going to see "2012" expecting nuanced character arcs and wonderful dialog - you are a fool.
padster123 2 years ago
padster123, I get the sense you're actually defending 2012 - If so...... lol
Richmarkhill78 2 years ago
Not really, not quite... I am sure it is a maddeningly crappy film. I detest the Transformers films... What I'm arguing against is the criticism of CGI for it's own sake. CGI is just a tool. And viewing great spectacular visual effects gives me as much pleasure as other people may get from watching physical stunts.
padster123 2 years ago
Hi padster123, you make alot of good points re people's expectations of movies (annie hall, etc), but I thought I should point out that I personally wasn't belittling CGI as an art. I agree it takes alot of skill to create the effects in blockbuster movies, and I do enjoy the visual effects, but the point i was making was that you just don't get that same instant gut reaction, that heart-in-mouth feeling, from a CGI stunt that you do from a "real" stunt...
MrHokeykokey 2 years ago
...(cont) e.g. If I see a CGI car chase I will be enjoying the scene and appreciating the visual spectacle but no matter how inventive or over the top it is it won't make me react physically, whereas if you watch the car chase scene in French Connection for example, not only are you enjoying the scene but your pulse starts racing and your body tenses because you know that the risky driving that you're watching did actualy happen in reality to a certain extent, do you see what I mean?
MrHokeykokey 2 years ago
I do see what you mean, but stunts are fake too. Just out of shot, there's a team of guys with wires, crash mats etc. Poor wire work (eg most recent Jackie Chan films) are as irritating to me as poor CGI is to anyone else. It's all artifice. Like studio lighting. Fake fake fake. It's the movies: nothing is real. Turn the camera round... there's a hundred people stood around wearing body warmers, and speaking into walkie talkies. What suspends disbelief is good story-telling, and cutting.
padster123 2 years ago
I think you've more or less hit the nail on the head with your last sentence. It all boils down to "suspension of disbelief". Your right in saying that an obvious stunt is just as irritating as obvious CGI, but this is because anything that suddenly brings your mind out of the film and back into the reality that you're watching a movie amounts to bad story-telling on the directors part. This is why I hate bad (obvious) CGI, because it will look so out of place that it bursts the bubble...
MrHokeykokey 2 years ago
...(cont) It shatters the suspension-of-disbelief because your brain says, "Hey that's a big CGI truck! Oh yeah, I'm watching a movie!!!" lol. Obviously, this criticism doesn't apply as much to fantasy/animated movies because your brain has already accepted that step away from reality. For me the best CGI is the subtle stuff that ironically goes by totally unnoticed and therefore doesn't burst the bubble (e.g. the stuff in Gladiator). P.S. Thanks for an interesting discussion.
MrHokeykokey 2 years ago
By the way that made me think of another point re CGI....I feel really sorry for all those professional animatronics experts and professional stuntpeople who spent years perfecting their skills only to be made redundant by the growing CGI industry over the past decade. I know people have to move with times etc etc, but it must be gutting for someone who dedicated their life to animatronic special effects only to find their career destroyed by producers who nearly always opt for CGI nowadays.
MrHokeykokey 2 years ago
So, CGI requires "no skill at all". "You just draw it".
If Kermode thinks this, he has next to no comprehension of a large part of modern film making craft. I'm really staggered that a critic with any credibility could say such a ridiculous thing.
It's OK if he wants to make the point that the visual effects weren't well directed, and didn't serve to make a better story, a better film. In this case, I'd agree. But to say that CG work like this is easy - I'm sorry, Kermode, you are an idiot.
padster123 2 years ago
didn't you listen to the rest of the show?...
AdventChild93 2 years ago
@padster123 To be fair, Mark DID apologise for saying that in subsequent podcasts. He agreed that CG DOES take talent. Like anything else, CG requires talent, but also an appreciation for where and how it should be used most effectively.
sulijoo 1 year ago
I'd like to see an end of the world movie where everyone turns on each other, the nicest people die and the worst people live, but in the end everything is messed up forever and all the plans so save people fail. From a non American perspective
bigfatcosmo 2 years ago
I went in getting ready to hate this after listening to Marks critique. However I must say that I had to check myself as I couldn't wipe the smile off my face most of the way through this overlong ride...
But it was a silly ride and I like it for it!
sid1662 2 years ago 2
Irwin Allen a genius?! What about The Swarm?? Brilliantly entertaining, but for all the wrong reasons...
JimmypinJimpin 2 years ago
The olympics do get mentioned and the mayans get mentioned as well. I agree that the movie was poor, but Mark, you really should get your facts straight if you are going to review a movie.
PowderedTowers 2 years ago 2
Yeah, listen, Kermode you dumbass.
Foebane72 2 years ago
I got the feeling that the movie was shot on HD and not film. Dean Semler can get away with it, but it is noticeable....
lbvedj 2 years ago
It's so true what he says about CGI v real stunts. I'm left totally unmoved by action scenes nowaday's cos you just think to yourself "Thats all basically just a big 3D drawing, big deal!" There are no "WOW, how did they do that?!!" moments in films anymore like there used to be.
e.g: a) "Roger Moore" ski's off the edge of a mountain, removes his skis, and opens a parachute... WOW!!!
v.s b) Piers Brosnan FAKE surfs on top of a FAKE tidal wave while holding a FAKE parachute. BOLLOCKS!
MrHokeykokey 2 years ago
Perfectly said my Friend, give me Daniel craig full impact Bond as opposed to Pierce in front of a green screen anyday
razorwirekiss 2 years ago
There's LOTs of digital effects work in the latest Bond films. Lots of greenscreen. It's just better done that in the Brosnan era.
padster123 2 years ago
Funny that this is a movie that relegates other countries to foreigners with funny accents considering that the director is a German with a funny accent.
TheSilhouette 2 years ago
I just got home from seeing it. I thought it was hilarious. All the action scenes are incredibly far over the top and beyond any semblance of reality, all the dialogue and characters are incredibly cheesy and dumb, and huge portions of the plot are nonsensical and idiotic. It really makes it feel that it is actually some kind of lampoon of big budget movies more than a genuine attempt at a real movie.
kerealciller 2 years ago 2
I don't mean to be pedantic Mark, but that car stunt was in The Man with the Golden Gun, not Live and Let Die.
welshfilmbuff 2 years ago
The 2012 London Olympics DO GET MENTIONED, how could you forget this, Mark Kermode?!
Anyway, loved the movie. Oscar for best special FX. Gorgeous destruction and great exploitation movie. And ignorant people, it's not all CGI, there are some great practical FX.
moeezS 2 years ago 2
I now feel bad for being an American. Well as long as we have Clint Eastwood, there is some hope for cinema, and well other directors that know film.
OliverGrayhound 2 years ago 11
Well that's very humble of you Grayhound. And in case you encounter any British snobbishness, let me just apologise in advance, in case you encounter our abominable Sex Lives of the Potato Men.
PurushaDesa 2 years ago
Clint Eastwood is a huge thing to be proud of mate.
Muskateering 2 years ago
I agree, though considering that the Coens and P.T. Anderson and Scorsese and (to a lesser extent) Quentin Tarantino are still around I don't think it's as hopeless as it seems. :)
WWAAK 2 years ago
@OliverGrayhound Clint Eastwood is an awful director.
lollerz16 1 year ago
@OliverGrayhound,
We also have Chuck Norris.
Intrepidman 1 year ago
Comment removed
EmpireLS56KW 1 year ago
I hate myself for saying it, but I loved it XD I wouldn't watch it at home, but .. it was mainly the CGI! The plane flying thru the carnage was just awesome!
I've very much not worried about the Mayan calendar ending ...
Nice to see it all ends up fine :P
lydz25 2 years ago
Not since my music teacher in 1985 have I heard the words 'flippity jibbert'. Thanks Mark, any relation to a Mrs Oldfield? I heard she had a breakdown in 1989 over the confusion one of her pupils had with the difference between a chromatic semitone and diatonic semitone. Great review, music to my ears.
kitsch2spacea 2 years ago
Classic.
salibubba7 2 years ago
way to go mark right on
booker80 2 years ago
"How much time do we have Dr. Helmsley?"
Thank you Worst Actor in the World. You are the final seal of approval on my prejudicial review of this film being terrible. I will NOT be going to see this.
TheConciseStatement 2 years ago
When CGI becomes just a crutch for lame films with no storyline, that's when I really get disillusioned with it, don't get me wrong, I was bowled over when CGI came out in films like Jurassic Park and IMHO it can still work wonders in films like LOTR, Pan's Labyrinth and some Pixar films, but for me Hollywood is relying on it to carry mediocre films far too much.
cha5 2 years ago 3
I couldn't agree more
Ricorodrigeuz 2 years ago
you should post reviews more often
I'm at school on Fridays, so I can't listen to them
notaninvaildname 2 years ago 3
You can also listen to the show on iplayer.
BobGom 2 years ago
yeah, but its a bit more convenient for me if its on youtube- I use it for most of my watchings lol
I know, my logics a bit strange
notaninvaildname 2 years ago
2012 is just a mix of 2 movies. Day After Tomorrow and Deep Impact. That's it.
elspoko 2 years ago 2
i thought it looks quite cool but can't have a plot
lowtone10 2 years ago
thank mark you have just saved me £7.50 cheers!!
Dancingstagequeen 2 years ago 5
I will never see this movie, because I know this movies sucks!
danxtur 2 years ago 3