Most people are familiar with the legend of the Mayan Calendar ending in 2012, and other apocalyptic tales of doom from the bible and other mythological sources. So roll them all up, add in some Science Fiction from a burst of energy from the sun and we have a recipe for Global disaster...AKA 2012

The movie follows the lives of several people in a genre "type" disaster film. A large eclectic acting ensemble with a few main parts and better character parts from John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and my favorite character bit part , "Charlie Frost" played by Woody Harrelson and a cameo role by George Segal. A few not too believable like The president of The United States , Danny Glover, and some God awful stand in for The Governor of California, Arnold....

The special effects, are just way over the top. An interesting sideline and more memorable than the movie is the audiences reaction to the disaster as it unfolds. There is a somber silence as the coast of California slides in to the ocean, the all to real freeway collapses, or volcanoes in Yellowstone and Hawaii raging uncontrolled. Many more scenes of death and destruction but most are played out in long distance with no close up shots of up close and personal death and mayhem. The Movie plays on some of the known trouble spots in the world that would be susceptible to a disaster of this type like California and all it's Tectonic faults and the large known caldera of Yellowstone. I don't think these are necessarily overdone. Tsunami in the Himalayas I'm having a hard time with. So many more similar scenes you decide!

Like most disaster movies this one is also too long. The plot is just not at all believable, but it has bursts of humor in the worst of circumstances, some drama , and some sad and even angry moments as characters that we have grown to like are one by one killed off because of the unpredictable behavior of the disaster or through the unscrupulous behavior of other characters.

All in all entertaining but just not a blockbuster must see.