2012

Ok, first a side note. I have created this blog so that I could do editorials separate from my other blog that is supposed to be more for my maybe someday comic book or novel ventures. As I am overly opinionated, and frankly a little lazy about real work, I for see this blog being used more. I encourage you to read my other blog which you can find here.

Now then, I went and saw the movie 2012 tonight and felt like I had to make some comments. Leading up to my seeing this movie I had been frustrated reading all of the reviews. They appear to be bothered by the unlikeliness of the premise and the what some called a "weak" plot. If that was all you should critic a movie about then they are absolutely right. There is no catastrophe that is going to strike in 2012, it is extremely long, and the premise of the movie is pretty weak. The plot itself is very straight forward and for the most part is carried by the acting. All of that being said, this movie is an instant classic and will be remembered as one of the epics of our generation.

There is a reason that we flock to movies like this and why we are willing to pay anywhere from $8 to $20 to sit on our ass for three hours. During that three hours we experience the emotional spectrum. (Spoiler alert) When the protagonists of the story are constantly being shot down by the bullies and politicians, and environmental catastrophes, we feel their anger and frustration. We laugh at the one liners and thrill in the adrenaline rush fights for survival. When a relatively small character, sits with his family and watches the oncoming tsunami he knows will kill his son, because we all know that is the only one he is thinking about in that moment, we all feel that pain. When fathers have to say goodbye to their children, we share their sadness. And when those who survive look out on a brand new day, we share their hope. Some of these emotions we forget we have in the hectic comings and goings of our life, but for moments during this movie we feel them and relate to the moments in our lives that have also given those emotions.

We are also, and more importantly, reminded of not who we are as individuals but what we are as a species. We as human beings, more than anything else, are problem solvers. When our ancestors created the first tools and built their first homes they were solving problems in a way no other creature on earth has. Throughout history we have thrived when we should have failed, we have bent the heavens and earth to meet our needs. I think what disturbs me most about so many of us now is the lack of perspective and the ability to solve life's everyday problems. It is movies like 2012, Independence Day, Day After Tomorrow, and even the Matrix, when we are reminded that we are survivors. They say that in the shark you will find the perfect hunter, we are the perfect thinkers. Our propensity to learn and adapt is nothing short of a miracle and we should be more appreciative. We would do well to remember this as we face the future that we must create for our children.

And lastly, and possibly the thing that both the movie and I want to express the most, we as human beings have the ability to show compassion. We share in each characters experience because we have the compassion to feel for them. What I felt that 2012 did better than most movies of its kind was to have the protagonists remember that while they were surviving, all around them people they did not know where dying. Regardless of your race, nationality or religion, we are all human beings and if we cannot show compassion to those around us we have lost our humanity. Remember that the people around you do not need you to baby them or lead them to your way of thinking, they only need understanding and respect. You do not have to like that gay couple, Muslim family, or born again Christian, but you should show them the understanding and respect that you would want them to show you. Human beings have been on this planet for thousands of years, and if we want to make it more than a few hundred more, we must stop being the self-righteous fanatics that are plaguing us now, and start to respect each other.

So, if you have three hours to kill and 20 bucks to spend then I say go see the movie. It is by no means the greatest movie I have seen, but we need these reminders in our celebrity obsessed, materialistic lifestyles. It always good to take a moment and share in someone else pain, even if that someone is a Hollywood character. And whether you go see the movie or not, tomorrow try to find one person in your day that you show a little extra compassion and understanding.

Until next time, thanks for reading!