2012

I don't have to look at the DVD cover to tell you this is one l-o-n-g movie, but I did...158 minutes. It seemed longer. There are several potential reasons. One, we had to stop half way through, when company stopped by. Second, we had issues with the DVD and ultimately had to move it to the X-box and start over. And lastly, even though I have a weird fascination for disaster movies, this one just never grabbed me by the seat of the pants and took me along for the ride. Of course number three could have been greatly influenced by the first two.

I am going to contradict myself now. I hate movies that spend the first half developing the characters before you get into any action. 2012 didn't do that, but because the characters weren't developed I didn't feel any attachment to them. There were only two characters that seemed to stand out, the crazy guy (Charlie Frost, we'll get back to him in a minute) and the asshole, selfish, filthy rich Russian guy that you hope gets his in the end.

Now back to Charlie Frost, as promised. It was one of those movie moments when a character comes on the screen and you zero in. Looking closely, I questioned, "Is that Woody Harrelson?" Indeed. There are a number of known, recognized actors in this movie. Woody was not as easily recognizable.

The movie starts in modern day and quickly movies toward 12/21/12, the date many say the Mayan calendar predicts as the end of the world. Last year I had the opportunity to talk to a man in Tulum, Mexico that specializes in Mayan history. He laughed at the notion. He said that December 2012 isn't the end of time, only the end of the calendar. Like our end of year, the Mayan calendar simply starts over.

I will admit watching the world being torn apart by earthquakes and flooded by tidal waves after recent global events, was a little creepy.