Some movies speak for themselves. One such movie is 2012, which comes billed as the end of the world, Roland Emmerich style. This review could simply state “Roland Emmerich destroys the world for real this time” and that would probably be sufficient. If you’ve seen any of his other movies, you know more or less what to expect from Emmerich. And since you know what CGI effects are capable of in 2009, you can probably predict what the destruction of earth circa 2012 might look like.

An airplane flies through the collapsing L.A. skyline — the first of many things that Roland Emmerich destroys in his latest world-ender, “2012.”

And since you’ve seen the trailers, you know what you’re buying going in. The only question here is whether 2012 delivers what you expect respectably and entertainingly, or whether it’s a cliche-ridden, implausible, over-the-top exercise in gratuitous mayhem.

Well, why can’t it be both? I submit that’s exactly what it is. 2012 is what it is: a spectacular popcorn disaster epic that appeals to a mass PG-13 audience. It’s a special effects thrill ride that will not be particularly disturbing or depressing. How can “the end of the world” not be depressing, you ask? I wouldn’t presume to give away the ending, but like all Emmerich mass-consumable destruction opuses, this one comes with a certain tempered conclusion to make all the world-ending that transpires over 150 minutes somehow seem okay, if you see what I mean. Never mind that untold billions have perished. This movie is not about who dies, it’s about who survives! (Read more…)

Complaining about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen after you’ve actually paid to go see it is kind of like complaining after commanding someone to punch you in the face. They might not have done it the way you wanted them to do it, but you sort of knew what you were getting yourself into. It’s kind of your own fault.

Michael Bay in a nutshell: Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf run away from one of many, many explosions in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Such is the case with the latest behemoth from Michael friggin’ Bay. It’s overblown to the point of absurdity, and yet I feel like an a-hole for complaining that it’s overblown, because, well, of course it’s overblown. I saw the trailer, didn’t I? I knew that going in. And I read other reviews that said the movie was bad. What was I expecting?

I sort of liked the first Transformers. On the guilty-pleasure scale I gave it a three-star rating, simply because, again, I knew what I was getting into, and the movie delivered on its silly level. And it made me laugh. And the voice of Optimus Prime was … the real voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen. Which was awesome. Overall, it was sort of a more-frenetic, less-classy Independence Day. (Read more…)

On Monday will be the final episode of “Boston Legal,” the David E. Kelley series that, among many other things, found a way to revive William Shatner in a way one previously would not have thought possible.

Denny Crane (Willaim Shatner) and Alan Shore (James Spader) are best friends in the end-of-its-run “Boston Legal.”

Now, it’s a crime that I did not write about the masterful ending of “The Shield” and yet I am somehow finding time to reflect upon what is obviously a much lesser show, but that’s just how the ebb and flow of blogging — or at least my blogging — works. (I had plenty of thoughts and strong feelings on the election we just had, and I watched untold hours of coverage and analysis all year, but I did not feel like throwing myself into the discussion. Sometimes you have the energy, and sometimes you don’t.)

I must confess to having a soft spot for “Boston Legal,” despite its obvious flaws. It does what it sets out to do fairly well. And that seems to be, like “The Practice” before it, to provide a (liberal) soapbox for writer/creator David E. Kelley to preach from while showcasing its quirky cast of characters. (Read more…)

Note: This posting is safely spoiler-free. If you’ve seen all, some, or none of “The Wire,” read on.

It’s been several years since I wrote more than a paragraph about “The Wire.” Despite my unlimited adoration for the show — which is one of the best shows in the history of the medium — my mention of it has been mostly limited to occasional name-dropping. (Read more…)

If I managed to convert you to “FNL” with my write-up last week, this is your reminder that season two premieres Friday at 9/8c on NBC. Watch it so that NBC doesn’t feel the need to cancel it. Considering my high praise of the first season, I want to take this chance to retroactively undersell the show, lest you go into it and it ends up suffering “Pulp Fiction Syndrome.” (Read more…)

“Friday Night Lights” returns to NBC on Friday, Oct. 5, for its second season. Can the second season possibly be as good as the first? That seems like a tall order given the high quality of the show’s critically acclaimed but little-watched first season. (Read more…)

I hate to beat a dead horse, but since I’ve been deficient in my IDWID writing, I guess I’d better write stuff when it comes to mind (which, after all, is the point of a blog).

Anyway, I just watched the second-to-last episode of “Rescue Me’s” aimless fourth season, and I’m convinced that this show is now a pointless stream-of-consciousness about random stuff that goes on in the lives of random — usually crazy — people. This show has the focus and attention span of a hazy, non-functional alcoholic, which is ironic considering that Tommy gave up drinking. (Read more…)

Note: I’ve been sitting on the bulk of this review since mid-May because I didn’t get around to finishing it. But now that I’ve wrapped up my ramblings, here it is — decidedly less than timely.

I have an unwritten rule that I occasionally break, which is: I don’t write about music. I could feel comfortable being a film or TV critic. But a music critic? No way. (Read more…)

Wednesday’s episode did more to confirm than allay my feelings that “Rescue Me” is in need of its own rescue. (Read more…)

Warning: Spoilers through the June 27 episode of “Rescue Me” follow.

I got into “Rescue Me” when FX was repeating the first season. I was entertained by its style, which was one part half-serious drama, and one part scathing insult comedy. It contained a certain reverence for the plight of New York City firefighters but at the same time did not forgive them their sins and bad habits. Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary), often an obnoxious drunk, was shown as just that, and when he’d fall back on 9/11 as an excuse for his boorish behavior, the show did not always agree with him. (Read more…)