If you're worried that this film will get you even more worried about the doomsday warnings just three years away, I assure you, worry not. In the genre of Independence Day (but not quite as good), 2012 sets a ball of destruction rolling for 2.5 hours with hokey happenstance and big special effects, some of which are pretty cool.

Ultimately, it's the rollercoaster action scenes that make the film fun, so let me comment on these first. In one sequence, John Cusack burns rubber on a 20 foot limo through the streets of Los Angeles as they crack and drop beneath his wheels. Highways tumble, buildings crumble, it's a fantastic ride. The impossible narrow escapes quickly accumulate to unbelievable quantities pushing the hokey factor off the charts. But somehow the heart-pumping, believable, meticulously-created screen effects counter. It's the kind of excitement people go to the movies for. I loved this scene. But, I might be biased, as L.A. is my town. I enjoyed recognizing local landmarks in the mayhem. Unfortunately, though good in their own right, subsequent action scenes don't top this one. In fact, winged-aircraft scenes become a bit redundant.

Oliver Platt commands. His acting prowess carries the picture as much as the special effects. The ethics dilemma written as tension between his character and the main character also saves the film from being complete Hollywood fluff. There's an interaction between these two leads that is as solid as any great drama has to offer. However, the arc (no pun intended) of this interaction is sadly truncated, injuring the emotional climax of the film. The entertainment climax also suffers because of a very silly "jamming of the gears" sequence. The gears of this otherwise barreling movie get jammed there too.

Despite these disappointing flaws, I'm not ashamed to admit that I really enjoyed the raw excitement the film generates. It's no masterpiece, makes embarrassing mistakes at times, but it is good fun and it will perhaps get you appreciating our little blue planet a bit more than you do already.