The scope and scale of devastation in Emmerich’s latest widescreen disaster opus often verges on the abstract, and so much happens with such ferocity that much of the potentially disturbing imagery, such as office workers clinging to the shattered edges of a bisected skyscraper, will register only tangentially, or perhaps subconsciously. However, despite the inherent gravity of the circumstances, Emmerich never wants us to take it too seriously, so he throws in plenty of silly humor, borderline ridiculous action sequences, and a save-the-dog sequence that can’t be anything other than a self-conscious nod to the golden retriever scene in Independence Day (Hollywood Jewel 16, Waco, TX)