It’s not often that we have public disagreements here at Agent Bedhead, but a few days ago The Agent showed a videoclip from Roland Emmerich’s 2012 that struck her as hilariously bad. The work of a hack, a man so punch-drunk on collapsing buildings, earth shattering kabooms, and CGI gone wild that he comes across as the short bus version of Michael Bay. This will not stand. Sure, the “science” in The Day After Tomorrow was physically impossible, and Independence Day was filled with gaping plot holes. And don’t even get me started on 10,000 B.C. But let’s not overlook the human element. I’m talking about the subtle, nuanced performances Emmerich draws from his cast, the characterizations that make him less of a deranged Michael Bay and more of a thinking person’s Tyler Perry.

To prove it, here’s the same video clip The Agent so heartlessly derided, minus all of the CGI nonsense. Granted, that means it’s only about one quarter as long. (One fifth, actually. The last fifteen seconds or so might be a spoiler for the movie’s surprise ending, which could mean that someone’s looking at a lawsuit.) Without the distraction of California sliding into the sea, you can really appreciate the variety of different ways John Cusack can say “YEEAAARRGGHH!!1!” in the space of less than a minute. Working with Roland Emmmerich must be a very special experience for an actor, and I’m sorry I’ll never know what it’s like firsthand.