The Parent Trap

"2012" is a disaster film, so you can be absolutely sure that there will be no surprises. This is the sort of film for people who like to get what they see. Film trailers often tease you into expecting a certain movie, and then the film is disappointing first and foremost because it's simply not what you expected. A bit like real-estate ads in Sydney, you must read between the lines and realise that a "surprisingly uplifting" film is a probably a downer, and that "the funniest comedy of the year" probably has a cynical twist. But "2012" is a long film about the end of the world, loaded up with fabulous special effects and endless scenes of mayhem, destruction and panic. Simple.

This is a film to enjoy when you're tired of THINKING. You've been reading and writing and analysing all week, and now you'd like to switch off and forget about anything meaningfully deep. You'll be able to buy that extra-large popcorn because the film's soundtrack is so loud that nobody will be bothered by your jolly opened-mouthed munching. Every so often you'll turn to your partner and repeat a funny bit of the dialogue and share a laugh, and if you look around you the cinema will be packed with happy film-watchers getting what they paid for - a big, bold, fabulously ridiculous disaster film.

This film is best enjoyed in a huge cinema complex on a very busy Saturday night, the atmosphere is half the fun with this type of film. It is also helpful to have a good sense of humour, because taking the end of the world seriously is NOT what this film is about. You should be the kind of person who thinks it's hysterically funny to see the Queen of England shuffling along with her two corgis, making her way towards a huge, metal ark which will survive a tsunami. It would also be helpful if you thought fake Russian accents are very very funny, because there's a lot of that. However, most importantly, you need to be able to appreciate the cunning ingenuity of a scriptwriter who chooses to make the protagonist of the film a negligent and disorganised father who's recently divorced. This is a man who will reconnect with his children and his estranged wife only because the WORLD is about to END. That's what it takes for this family to live happily ever after.

The secret treasure at the end of this film is that you realise it's really "The Parent Trap" for adults. Like I said, take this film seriously at your own risk.



Final words: You'll come out of the cinema a bit dazed, giggling and reminding each other of the silliest scenes (so many to choose from). You might also hearken back to the 70 odd times you watched the original Parent Trap film, and make your partner laugh by singing your very own rendition of "Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah."