"The end of the world has never looked better"

Some people are fortunate enough to be so good looking that it doesn’t matter what kind of person they are – they’ll always do well in life.  Looks are so important in fact, that between two people with equal intelligence, the better looking will always be preferred.  Until now, I thought that the above only applied to humans.  If you have a good looking car that falls apart, you trade it in.  If you have a good looking sandwich that tastes like crap, you buy a tasty one.  In other words, it’s about substance rather than style.

This is generally the case for films – most people would rather see a film with a fantastic script and great acting shot on a small budget, than a multi million dollar blockbuster with about as much substance as a super saver Chicken Kiev from your local corner shop.

However, after seeing 2012, I think that I might have to change my mind.  Strip it to its bare bones, and it’s actually a fairly weak film.  The plot has some gaping holes, is entirely un-original, and utterly predictable, yet I actually found myself enjoying it.

“How is this possible” I hear you cry.  My answer, completely unashamedly, is that it is quite simply the most visually stunning film (from an effects perspective) that I have ever seen.  They really went all out – literally wrecking the entire world in utterly mesmerising fashion.  This visual treat drew me in, especially through the many set pieces, and at times had me on the edge of my seat.

As said before –  it’s not perfect, but as your stereotypical blockbuster it was never going to be, and whilst the premise is nothing new, it has enough visual gusto to carry it off.