Overview: From Roland Emmerich, director of THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and INDEPENDENCE DAY, comes the ultimate action-adventure film, exploding with groundbreaking special effects. As the world faces a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions, cities collapse and continents crumble. 2012 brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover.

DVD Verdict: I am a disaster movie junkie. Really, I can't get enough of them. An evening with popcorn and a good disaster movie sounds perfect to me. And 2012 should have been the grandest disaster movie ever made. Instead, 2012, while visually magnificent, leaves something to be desired.

2012 is the retelling of the Biblical flood story. Scientists detect the coming of the greatest solar event in the history of man, and realize that the world as we know it will come to an end. They tell the president and other heads of state, who, of course, keep it secret from the rest of the world. In a grand attempt to save mankind, great arks are built, in secret. But who will be selected to man these arks? Will the human race survive?

As stated earlier, this movie is visually stunning. The disaster effects are amazing and actually feel believable. I loved California falling into the Pacific. However, 2012 tries to be every cheesy disaster movie ever made, instead of being its own story. There are remnants of Earthquake, Volcano, The Poseidon Adventure, Airport, Tidal Wave, Deep Impact, and pretty much every cheap disaster movie made for television by the Sci Fi, pardon me, SyFy channel. It also borrows quite a bit of story line from the classic When Worlds Collide.

I really wanted 2012 to be its own story in its own right. Instead, it was just a remix of, well, everything. And seriously, John Cusack must be the luckiest man alive. To survive disaster after disaster after close call gets a little monotonous. The audience stops caring. Especially since none of the characters are particularly engaging.

That said, the best scenes were driving a Chevy around giant fissures and through buckling parking garages, and driving a van in a zig zag fashion, dodging fireballs!

Overall, if you like high impact action/adventure with incredible visuals, you will like 2012. If you want a little more story with your disasters, then this may not be a film for you. It is flawed, clichéd, and leaves you wanting more.[KJ] This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with Special Features of:

"Time For Miracles" Music Video by Adam Lambert
Commentary with Writer/Director Roland Emmerich and Co-Writer Harald Kloser
Deleted Scenes & Alternate Ending
Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic