Roland Emmerich’s latest world-destroying end of the world epic 2012, starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet and Chiwetel Ejiofor, is worth a look if you’re in the mood for a good laugh. As Lloyd Dobler and Co. outrun earthquakes, tidal waves, explosions and sinkholes leaving only global destruction and any sense of logic behind under the guise of some Mayan prophesy that loosely predicted it all, the director couldn’t create a comedy this funny if he tried.
Simply told, Cusack is an author and loser dad whose ex (Peet) has a new boyfriend keen on taking care of their kids. Woody Harrelson makes an appearance on Cusack's reunion trip to Yellowstone with said kids, as a sort of Grizzly Adams with a radio show who warns them about the sh** about to go down—and with that, it sure does. After entire states disappear into the ocean and cities collapse like Lincoln Logs, the few survivors left standing find themselves racing toward rescue in the form of giant seafaring “arks” that can float humanity around in the giant oceans that now comprise most of Planet Earth. If you’re into spectacular effects and action and can stomach a story so preposterous it makes The Day After Tomorrow look like a documentary, you’ll enjoy this one.
Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak’s lovely children’s book gets the movie treatment care of Spike Jonze, who creates a fantastical forest island of giant beasties for his young hero Max to escape to. When Max gets sent off without supper one night, he storms away into this strange world and discovers he could be the king of the monsters, but finds ruling them is a lot harder than he thought. This polarizing film will enchant viewers who eat up abstract indie filmmaking and can forgive the meager story; those who want more meat in their movies may just go hungry.
Ponyo Not Hayao Miyazaki’s best work (it’s a little juvenile for most adults), this animated tale based on The Little Mermaid is still delightful enough to keep the kids happy. Here, the heroine in question is a goldfish taken in by a little boy, and together they have adventures--until her daddy wants her to come back home.
Gentlemen Broncos A boy homeschooled by his mother (that’s your first clue) is a loner with a talent for writing whose story gets stolen by a famous writer and then turned into a movie. Fart jokes and quirk ensue.
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Kitchen-sink drama about a woman’s journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. Or something.
Bitch Slap Think Maxim magazine meets Sin City for horny 15-year-olds.
