Reel Critic:

If one is concerned about appearing intellectual, it is probably best not to admit that you enjoy any facet of pop culture. Arena rock concerts, reality shows and high-grossing box-office favorites are dismissed as mindless diversions by the so-called intelligentsia.

However, there are plenty of people willing to spend their time and money consuming mass-market entertainment. For big-budget special-effects movies, reviews and awards mean nothing. Only the bottom line matters, which, of course, means garnering huge box-office receipts.

The latest attempt to mine box-office gold is “2012,” already the No. 1 movie in the country. With a budget reportedly in excess of $250 million, the plot is clearly secondary to the staggering special effects. The general story line is based on the thin premise of the Mayan calendar ending in 2012, which supposedly predicts the end of the world.

Also mentioned a couple of times is Charles H. Hapgood, the academic who originated the since-discredited theory of earth-crust displacement. Hapgood was a historian, not a geologist, yet he claimed the Earth’s crust could move separately from its core, resulting in huge and sudden land mass movements. This, in turn, would produce cataclysmic volcanic activity, weather changes and gargantuan tsunamis.

Providing the obligatory human story is John Cusack as Jackson Curtis, a divorced father of two and a failed writer. Curtis’ ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet) is now involved with her neighbor, plastic surgeon Gordon (Thomas McCarthy), although she and Jackson maintain a cordial relationship for the sake of their children, Noah and Lilly (Liam James and Morgan Lily).

The entire family lives in Los Angeles, which is being rocked by a series of temblors that are causing cracks in the pavement and other minor damage. While camping with the kids in Yellowstone, Jackson stumbles upon a large government installation in the park where lakes are mysteriously drying up.

After being allowed to return to his campsite, Jackson encounters conspiracy theorist and amateur radio broadcaster Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson). Frost tells him a wild story of imminent ecological disaster the government is keeping secret by killing anyone who threatens to go public. Jackson dismisses Frost as a lunatic when he tells him the government has also built spaceships to save a selected few.

Of course, the audience is in on the secret that Frost is not a nut at all. Spearheaded by government geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the scientific community is well aware of the impending disaster. Giant solar flares have bombarded the Earth with neutrinos, which have super-heated the planet’s core, causing the crust to float like a loosely assembled jigsaw puzzle. Once the tremendous pressure caused by the molten core starts to escape, the Earth as we know it will cease to exist.

All of this is simply setup for the truly mind-boggling special effects. Director and writer Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow”) can portray Armageddon like few other filmmakers. This end-of-the-world scenario allows Emmerich to convincingly destroy Yellowstone, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Washington D.C. and even have a tidal wave breach the Himalayas. The earth’s crust bubbles and splits, the continents move, and the entire planet turns on its axis to the point that Wisconsin becomes the South Pole. Every penny spent on the epic visuals is clearly evident. This mayhem is played against Jackson and his family’s struggle to beat the odds and somehow find safety.

“2012” is like a roller coaster. You may know exactly where it is going, but the ride is nonetheless thrilling. This is a “popcorn movie” in the truest sense. “2012” delivers exactly what is expected; an entertaining diversion with gigantic special effects that can be fully enjoyed only on the large screen.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.