Why waste time, lets destroy everything from the start. That could be the mantra for this film. After a brief introduction to some characters, and a small dose of backstory on how the government saw the end coming years before d-day, it jumps right into absolute destruction. From the sunny southern California coastline to Washington D.C. the United States of America takes the brunt of the destruction. So much for Viva Las Vegas or the tropical oasis that is (was) Hawaii. As for the rest of the world, the outcome is no better. Even if most of there annihilation is caught on television from the United States. The actual personal stories of people are generic. Some will meet their maker, others prove their selflessness, and some will find greed has consequences. A great portion of the movie is dedicated to one family, as is typical of this type of film. You also have many goodbyes and tears to loved ones left behind. Regardless, it is one hell of a ride watching the World as we know it disappear before our very own eyes.

The script is very generic in that it is not going to deliver anything really new to this genre of cinema. Same plot as has come before, same characters, and so on. There is one thing I absolutely loved. You have to wait until the very end to get it but I believe that Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser have a great sense of humor. Just one word is all I can say for now...Africa. The have nots may just have something after all.

Nothing is ever perfect. Look closely and you can always find a flaw somewhere. This can be said for the effects in this film but as a casual viewer you will be hard pressed to notice, or even remember. For the scenes that are absolutely without a doubt amazingly awesome shall overcome any others that did not live up to your expectations. The crumbling of Los Angeles is outright spectacular. Watching the homes in Beverly Hills crumble (with a great rear-view mirror shot from a vehicle) is delightful. Yes, delightful. There is something cathartic about watching Los Angeles sink into the ground. Maybe it is the way in which the constantly overcrowded, smog-ridden freeways topple or seeing the famous coastline fall into the sea. The best part of it all, is you are seeing it from above for the most part. Flying high above the city as it is swallowed. The film may focus much of its demolishing on Southern California but others are not spared. Watching The Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Bassilica fall in Vatican City is miraculous. Or seeing the gigantic waves cascade over landmasses, killing and destroying everything in there way. Any way you look at it the effects are a site to behold.