At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It is Asylum, so my expectations were low. Bill Hart works to save his family from a fast moving glacier. For some unexplained reason (in 2012) volcanoes under the ice caps erupt which causes a sudden flow of glaciers moving across Maine...and the east coast (Glaciers typically move 5-10 feet a day with a "fast" speed of about 100 ft. a day.) In addition to the plot, the acting was fairly unbelievable too, although these actors have done better when they had a decent script. Also on the unbelievable list was a Black Senator from the state of Maine. Has the writer of this script ever been to Maine?The military decides to battle the high speed glacier with conventional weapons. Blocks of ice, as big as a 5 story building are hurled up into the air and come crashing down on Bangor The Paul Bunyan statue is destroyed. (If you are going to ignore one law of physics, you might as well ignore all of them.) The car in which the family travels is constantly inundated with snow and ice and it rocks back and forth like the bridge of the Enterprise fighting against a fleet of Klingons.The family wants to go to NYC to rescue their daughter at college.No nudity, sex, bad language, or large rubber animals. Unless you are 8 or stoned to the bejesus, avoid this film.

Although that doesn't make the movie great. 2012: ICE AGE is a typical Asylum disaster flick, heavily copying THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW in its tale of a breakaway 'rogue' glacier that heads towards the Eastern Seaboard of the USA, bringing snowstorms and wreaking havoc as it approaches. The usual bunch of scientists and their assorted family members have to dodge disaster staples while the boffins try to figure out what to do.You know the story here if you've seen any of the other endless Asylum disaster flicks: lots of low rent mayhem involving freezing clouds, sudden snowstorms, and landmarks being destroyed on a very small budget. All of the FX mentioned above are brought to life by very dodgy CGI, which isn't too poor, but the CGI vehicles (planes, cars) are something else entirely; computer game quality, if that.The cast is populated by various non-entities and haggard-looking actresses and despite the constant danger the characters find themselves in there's no real suspense or tension at any point. Thus it's business as usual for The Asylum, and torture as usual for any viewers unlucky enough to be watching. And for the record, 2012: ICE AGE isn't as bad as Miami MAGMA and JET STREAM.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was 2012 Ice Age.Eight gold stars and here are the reasons why: First, the CGI was the best I've seen since 1982.Second, the writing was so amazing that the actors felt compelled to repeat the lines multiple times. And, the editors must have felt the same way about some of the camera shots.Third, Nelson. What can I say about Nelson? A fine young up-and-coming actor. He really captured the true moments of drama. Nelson's delivery of the line "Dad, get us out of here," made my heart stop...all five times he said it.Fourth, there come's a time in a National Guardsman's life when he just needs to wrap himself in a giant sleeping bag. Don't worry. You get to see it.Fifth, the movie continues to deliver top notch comedy when it introduces a new character briefly before she is pummeled by a giant glacier stone.Sixth, grrr...give me your jacket.Seventh, the movie suspends reality better than a giant glacier moving more than 200 miles an hour.Eighth, the movie gets its final and eighth gold star for declaring war on glaciers.

For two reasons I will give this movie a one, first, I cannot score it any lower and, secondly, for all you brave people who watch movies like these out of morbid curiosity, be warned! Be sure to be doing something better while watching this as a fourth priority at best...The special effects are just plain sad. The CGI was possibly better in the 1990's.The story line is thin at best and the acting is as believable as a giraffe with sunglasses trying to slip into a country club for polar bears.In one scene the dad indiscriminately fires a pistol into the air...hello...ahhh hell, just too much to mention.The Cessna scene with ice on the wings really did it for me when the ice sat there like chunks of cauliflower and grew by the second...really now? Does this director think we are total idiots?Plainly said, rather go knit with one needle and no wool, you might just find your 90 minutes or so much more productively spent!