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[JohnIan101]

Past Tense - Shake, Rattles And Rolls Part II




I really enjoyed "2012", saw this in a theater which no longer exist; a victim of the crappy economy.

Man, I had so many good memories from that place.

Anyhow, I would call this epic, very few films nowadays can have this sense of scale. My jaw dropped when I saw the Los Angeles quake.

When you think of massive earthquakes in motion pictures, that scene will top the list - carnage on such a scope it trumps the catastrophe in "The Day After Tomorrow" (a previous Past Tense) or last month's entry...



It's true - while a lot of rubble happens in "San Andreas" (2015), it was sanitized.

You see these big scale collapses and floods, but so few to no people in them as they happen. Sure folks seen moving among the rubble - post event. But not during the disaster. A good example of this is the crusie ship above.

Notice something missing? Where are the people on board?

There should be passengers, tiny people seen on that ship, moving, running - maybe even jumping off. Nope. YES, there is two folks seen falling off a crumbling sky scraper in Los Angeles, but that's it. In a movie about mass destruction, it's so bloodless, like making a zombie movie without gore - I'm looking at you "World War Z" (2013).

Let me make something clear if you're taking issue with me. I don't mean scenes of people reacting the event as it happens or before.

I mean, distance shoots seeing the full scale calamity; it's as I wrote sanitized. You don't see tiny people moving on the disintegrating landscape - getting killed by falling debris or toss about cars.

You see imagery covered by dust or water vapor before the wave, carnage is concealed.

I wanted to see bodies. For a PG-13 film, "2012" had huge losses of life on screen, they did not shy away from causalities.

The Los Angeles limo run had so many people getting killed in the background; blown-up, crushed and falling to their deaths. One in particular was a guy on the street who got hit by a run away truck. Bam! I was surprised.

Another was our heroes, flying out of L.A., there is quick shot as they fly by the crumbling freeway. Cars and bodies falling to their deaths - screams! as the Cessna few by. THAT is what is missing in "San Andreas". You felt it, I know I did. Frack me.

And lets not forget, California also sinks into the Pacific.

So many moments to freeze frame and WTFs?



So yeah, THIS delivered 'end of the world' goods, left satisfied.

The characters were serviceable, the main ones. Now I will admit this wasn't so with everyone.

Some of them were stock, cardboard people. A good example of this is Vice President, Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt). And President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover).

The man looked like someone's feeble grandfather, not joking.

Each time I see on on screen - my mind drifted to 'how did this guy get elected?' Did America want a granddad for President? Not saying that's a bad thing. There is a wisdom here, but it felt so out of place.

Anyhow, the movie got me to care what happened, which is what I want from a feature, any feature.

One of characters I wish was in the film longer, Russian pilot, Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buric). He had nobel death.



Conspiracist, Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson); his death reminds me of my old high school science teacher.

A class conversation (late 1980s), about what would happen if WWIII took place.

He said he would take out his cooler sit on his lawn drink some beers and watch the nukes descend, not much else to do. *nods*

Man, I remember the fervored rants on message boards when this came out.

Hell, it's still being talked about; 'but I wouldn't do that'.

The topic was near end - with the Arks.



The sealing of the doors, not allowing the workmen to board the ships just before the tidal wave approached.

Many were bothered, saying such a thing 'wouldn't happen' - 'too unbelievable'.

I disagree. Not all the Arks were finished - only three of the four massive crafts were ready for the End. By taking all of these people, you are decreasing the on board resources.

Much of the human race got wiped out by the virtual reset, there's no going out for shopping.

What they have is all that they have. Not that hard to understand. I guess saying that makes me a bastard, whatever.

It's cold, but true. But it all comes down to the numbers. The less you have the more your food/medicine/fuel will last. Why wouldn't the world's Elite try to increase their chances at survival - they paid for the Arks' construction for that purpose.

And let's be 100% honest, it wasn't altruistic, not in the least.

That part of the movie was the most credible. *nods*

Much like Emmerich's "The Day After Tomorrow" the finale isn't a happy ending. Much more blood will be spilled; war is coming. While the joint venture has a ton of hardware and resources, it is finite. The rest of the planet which survived the End won't want to share their food or people.

You see, they all were left to die while the uber rich and Elite had their luxury, mega floating shelters to ride out the death and misery in comfort. They're gonna be super pissed. And would rather die than share what they have.

Only one outcome - war. A tiny version that is World War III. Don't kid yourself; the film's conclusion is the calm before the next storm.

A quick addition before we close this entry and theme month.



Above is a subway advertisement from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the feature in 2009. How frackin' sway is that?

Come back here on February 2nd, 2017 for a Valentine exclusive with a not so spooky flavor.