2012

Not to be confused with 2010, the sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey, nor with 2112, the vaguely Ayn Rand-influenced, science-fictiony hard-rock album (and seven-part suite of the same name thereon) by Canadian power trio Rush, 2012 is the latest disaster epic from director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow). Maybe by now you think yourself completely jaded to gaping earthquakes, mile-wide ash clouds, super tsunamis and other soulless digital obliterations of man-made landmarks and large crowds of people. Well, OK, but Emmerich and his co-writer Harald Kloser just want to be absolutely sure. Together with stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt and Woody Harrelson, they prove that “the biggest solar climax in recorded history” may sound sexy, but when combined with “crustal displacement” it yields something very unpleasant indeed.