A refreshingly believable disaster occurs in '2012'

Although at first the film seems like a generic copy of "The Day After Tomorrow" with better special effects, "2012" eventually proves to be both entertaining and successful in its own right.

Disaster movie king Roland Emmerich ("The Day After Tomorrow," "Godzilla," "Independence Day") succeeds in creating the ultimate end-of-the-world film with excellent CGI, a well-rounded and respectable cast, and a storyline full of creativity and practicality.

"2012" is based on the emerging belief that the world will end in the year 2012, as originally predicted by the Mayan calendar. In the film, the apocalypse begins when the Earth's core melts, resulting in extreme earthquakes and floods across the entire planet. The story follows writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) and his family. It also features the scientist who discovered the cause of the disaster (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a crazy hippy forest-dweller portrayed by Woody Harrelson, a stern government official (Oliver Platt) and Danny Glover as the U.S. President.

Emmerich's decision to focus on multiple characters creates a realistic feel because it allows for multiple perspectives as well as sympathetic connections. And generally, "2012" is one of the more realistic disaster movies in recent years. Its plot provides detailed and believable scientific information, rather than resorting to an alien invasion or some kind of monster takeover.

There is no doubt that the special effects make the film. The disaster scenes play like a videogame (or "Cloverfield"), making extensive use of an intense first-person perspective. Emmerich conveys the horrors of his cataclysm not only through big volcanic explosions and massive tidal waves, but also through the comparatively minute: dead bodies and people clinging from the edges of falling buildings. Although depictions of demolished cities have become cliché, especially in this genre, the innovatively portrayed incidents of "2012" still offer impact.

"2012" begins slowly, bogged down with complex scientific explanations. But once the first massive crack hits California, the movie takes you for a two-and-a-half hour rollercoaster ride through shocking events and non-stop exhilaration. It might not be the most unique or intelligent movie ever made, but it is definitely a big, thoroughly entertaining spectacle. It's taken him a few expensive tries, but Emmerich finally hit the mark.