Up & Coming Weekly

24 UCW DECEMBER 9-15, 2009 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Those who can, do. Those who can't, direct disaster movies — or at least popular wisdom so dictates. Even so, I am a disaster movie fanatic. In fact, Director Roland Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow is one of the few movies I watch as a guilty pleasure without ever actually buying (to put that into perspective, I own both Road House AND Under Siege). When I saw the length of 2012 (158 minutes), his big budget follow- up to The Day After Tomorrow, I was expecting the worst kind of self-indulgent ludicrously effects driven schmaltzy clap- trap. Imagine my surprise when the flick wasn't half-bad! Yes, it was an endurance trial to get through the massive bulk, and I was starving by the time it was over, but the movie doesn't drag in too many spots. Of course, several of the minor subplots irritated, but that is what you get with a bloated disaster epic. Rome wasn't blown up in a day, you know. In 2009 an American scientist, Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) informs White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) that he should watch the movie Deep Impact and plan accordingly. After a quick montage covering the activities of the next three years, we are introduced to the moral center of the story, writer/limousine driver/ part-time dad/Olympic Level swimmer (I'm drawing some conclusions from the film for that last one) Jackson Curtis (John Cusack). Curtis takes some time off from his day job, driving for Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buri) to take his less-annoying-than-they-could-have- been kids camping in Yellowstone. After some character establish- ing narrative, a lot of things get awesomely blown up/disintegrated/ vaporized. As shown in the trailers, Curtis manages to warn his fam- ily about the impending destruction of all human civilization. Thanks to some improbably skillful driving, followed by some improbably skillful flying (fol- lowed by more driving and more flying, and then more flying, ad nase- um) the Crazy Curtis Crew hooks up with the even Krazier Karpov Krew, and the second half of the film com- mences. Luckily, the Karpov Krew includes my new boyfriend, expert pilot Sasha (Estonian bo rn Johann Urb). When you fly with Sasha, SEXY is your co-pilot! Meanwhile, President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover, but Morgan Freeman would have killed this role) and first daughter Laura Wilson (Thandie Newton) make some important decisions. Those impor- tant decisions lead into the final act, in which we are introduced to the Terrific Tenzin Team. Tenzin (Chin Han, who can be my boy- friend if things don't work out with Sasha and me) has insider knowl- edge regarding the plans to preserve human civilization, and helps the Crazy Curtis Crew make it to the film's climax. If you buy a ticket to this movie expecting Shakespeare, of course you walk away disappoin ted. If you go in expecting the destruction of the work punctuated with some minor family drama and stock disaster characters, you will walk away extremely satis- fied. Unless, of course, you expect progressive gender equality in your contemporary disaster films. If there is one glaring flaw throughout the movie, it is the emphasis on pro- tecting the womenfolk from the big bad world destroying disaster. All the powerful roles are played by men, and the script doesn't do the women any favors. Casting might have played a part here, since neither Newton nor Amanda Peet (who plays the mother of Curtis' children) is known for their ability to dominate a screen. Sexist But Not Half Bad 2012 (Rated PG-13) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing Writer COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com "RAGG "OULEVARD &AYETTEVILLE .# 910-323-1791 YOUR BASKETBALL HEADQUARTERS FOR COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL AND RECREATION TEAMS YOUR BASKETBALL HEADQUARTERS FOR COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL AND RECREATION TEAMS Visit our Hope Mills Location, 5613 Rockfish Road. 910.609.1791 YOUR BASKETBALL HEADQUARTERS FOR COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL AND RECREATION TEAMS YOUR BASKETBALL HEADQUARTERS FOR COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL AND RECREATION TEAMS $2 Margaritas $2 Long Islands & Dom. Bottles $3 Sex on the Beach $3 Jager $2 Wells Latin Night with Guest Latin DJs! LADIES FREE B4 11pm LADIES FREE B4 11pm KARAOKE!!! $2 Pint Domes $5 Domestic Pitchers $3 Jack & Coke $3 So. Comfort WATER PONG WATER PONG Competition DJ VSMOOVE DJ VSMOOVE KARAOKE 500 CA$H PRIZE! Every Tuesday!

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