'2012'
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Starring: John Cusack, Amanda Peet

The latest in the epic adventures of global demolition, Roland Emmerich’s “2012” opens nationally today.

Another speculation as to what it could be like when our world meets its natural termination, “2012” is just another adrenaline pumper – full of explosions and diehard action sequences, albeit entertaining.

John Cusack, an actor who is usually a sure thing for picking up a good script, stayed true to his niche, and once again has come out with another good performance.

Cusack stars as Jackson Curtis, a struggling Californian novelist who daylights as a limo driver to pay the bills. Work is not the only struggle that Jackson must face, however, as his home life is a constant battle as well.

After appearing to care more for his writing career than his own family, Jackson was left by his wife, Kate (Amanda Peet) and two children. Still an active and caring father in his children’s lives, though, he is forced to watch the happiness of his family’s new life in their humble, white-picket-fence lifestyle with the new man, Gordon (Tom McCarthy), who has gained the love and respect of Jackson’s son.

When taking his two kids on a weekend camping trip to a national park, Jackson and the kids come across an area closed off by military officials — a scene that will pave the way for what is to come for Jackson, his family and the world as they know it.

Growing increasingly curious about the closed area, Jackson does some late-night insomnia-driven investigating, which leads to a discussion with longhaired, crazy backwoods radio DJ Charlie Frost.

Frost (Woody Harrelson) lets Jackson in on the secrets that the government is keeping from most of society. Frost is obsessed with following the research that a scientist brought forth to the government based on historical, biblical and physical geographic information that would prove the world’s deterioration in December of 2012, leading to a race against time save the human race.

Not initially believing Frost, Jackson attempts to continue his time spent with his kids. That is until the most obvious signs of land corrosion take place, and now it is up to Jackson to save the lives of his family while the rest of the world crumbles around him.

Meanwhile, the government is taking its stance against the apocalypse by calling upon an evacuation of the richest and most elite to large arcs built to withstand even the most devastating disasters.

As one would expect from a modern Hollywood movie about the apocalypse, “2012” from beginning to end features the latest in special effects. And true to its form, this movie does provide an excellent way to escape from reality and enter more than two hours of constant action and adventure.

Director Roland Emmerich is anything but new to this style of disaster movies and the ability to capitalize on the spectacular use of special effects. His past works include Independence Day (1996) and Godzilla (1998).

Unlike some of Emmerich’s other films, “2012” features just about every natural disaster imaginable, from volcano eruptions to the most ground-splitting of earthquakes and the biggest and most devastating of tsunamis.

While Emmerich’s latest offers very little that’s new to apocalyptic possibilities, it is nonetheless a movie that provides blockbuster entertainment from beginning to end.

Filled with an excellent cast, including Danny Glover and Oliver Platt, “2012” has a decent story behind it and is definitely worth a couple hours of cinematic escape.

Reach the reporter at bryan.brougham@asu.edu