I know Avatar was released today but sadly I didn’t get a chance to see a preview so my review will have to wait.  But until then let me tell you about this little art-house film I saw a few weeks ago.  2012. (If you haven’t seen the trailer for the film, that was a joke.)

For a Roland Emmerich disaster movie, I LOVED it.  The film asks you to suspend disbelief in some pretty hefty ways but if you can get there, you will love it too.

Emmerich’s past films include Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), The Patriot (2000), The Day After Tomorrow (2004).  All really fun movies.

He usually has some social message in his films and 2012 is no different.  You may differ from his politics a little but don’t let that stop you from enjoying them.

One of the things that makes 2012 work as an entertaining movie is the casting of John Cusack.  He always plays such like-able characters and his presence grounds this film in some sort of real world.  I’m a fan of Mr. Cusack.  (I even liked Con Air.  That probably has a lot to do with him also.)

You may be rolling your eyes at me for saying all of this.  And some may call me a hypocrite for liking Emmerich movies and not Michael Bay Shaky-Cam Trans-morphing Robot Movies.  But I think all of Emmerich’s good movies have a little bit more thought put into them than Bay’s recent garbage.  And a little more heart.  I actually care about the characters – verses hating them (Shia) and seeing them as only eye-candy (Megan.)

I like to think of Roland Emmerich as a present day Circus Ringmaster .  He’s the king of spectacle but with a tender side.  While destroying the world, he shows us families getting back together.  And that makes me say – “Awww.”

What did you think of 2012?