2012 (2009)

A frustrated writer struggles to keep his family alive when a series of global catastrophes threatens to annihilate mankind.

Director:

Roland Emmerich

Writers:

Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser

Stars:

John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor

5 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Cusack	...	Jackson Curtis
Amanda Peet	...	Kate Curtis
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	Adrian Helmsley
Thandie Newton	...	Laura Wilson
Oliver Platt	...	Carl Anheuser
Tom McCarthy	...	Gordon Silberman
Woody Harrelson	...	Charlie Frost
Danny Glover	...	President Thomas Wilson
Liam James	...	Noah Curtis
Morgan Lily	...	Lilly Curtis
Zlatko Buric	...	Yuri Karpov
Beatrice Rosen	...	Tamara
Alexandre Haussmann	...	Alec
Philippe Haussmann	...	Oleg
Johann Urb	...	Sasha

Storyline

Dr. Adrian Helmsley, part of a worldwide geophysical team investigating the effect on the earth of radiation from unprecedented solar storms, learns that the earth's core is heating up. He warns U.S. President Thomas Wilson that the crust of the earth is becoming unstable and that without proper preparations for saving a fraction of the world's population, the entire race is doomed. Meanwhile, writer Jackson Curtis stumbles on the same information. While the world's leaders race to build "arks" to escape the impending cataclysm, Curtis struggles to find a way to save his family. Meanwhile, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of unprecedented strength wreak havoc around the world.

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Plot Keywords:

apocalypse | earthquake | end of the world | elizabeth i character | juvenile bedwetting | 

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Taglines:

How would the governments of our planet prepare 6 billion people for the end of the world...? They wouldn't.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Oliver Platt and Morgan Lily both later appeared in X-Men: First Class (2011) (albeit, they share no scenes in either one of these films).

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Goofs

While flying in the twin engine plane (A Cessna 340) taken from Los Angeles, characters are shown conversing normally inside the quiet aircraft. In reality, the noise from the engines would make it impossible to carry on a normal conversation in the cabin without headphones.

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Quotes

Adrian Helmsley: The president has ordered us to clean out the White House.
Harry Helmsley: About time somebody cleaned up that mess.

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Crazy Credits

The opening scene of the movie shows the years and events leading up to 2012 (2009...2010...2011). The title card not only states the movie's title, but also seems to indicate, "And in the year 2012..."

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Alternate Versions

There was an alternate ending that was featured on the DVD. After Captain Michaels announces that they are heading to the Cape of Good Hope, he tells Dr. Helmsley that he has a phone call waiting for him. Dr. Helmsley discovers that his dad Harry is still alive. Harry tells his son that he, Tony (whose arm is in a sling) and some of the passengers and crew survived the mega-tsunami that struck the Genesis. Captain Michaels states that they should have a visual on the ocean-liner shortly. After Kate thanks Laura for taking care of Lily, Laura tells Jackson that she liked his book. Lily then announces that she sees an island. The Arks arrive at the shipwrecked Genesis and the survivors on the beach.

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Connections

Referenced in Everything Wrong with...: Everything Wrong with the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Minuet
from "String Quintet In E Major, Op. 11 No. 5"
Written by Luigi Boccherini
Performed by Borealis String Quartet

User Reviews

Good cataclysmic Action, but waayyy to much bad kitsch

I loved the first half of the movie with Roland Emmerich seemingly back to form (from his disastrous "10,000 B.C."). But as the movie drags on, even the smallest character gets his "i have to say goodbye to my loved ones"-scene - which becomes quite annoying after you've watched this for the 5th time in a row. then comes a great destruction scene and then we're back in soap-opera territory. don't get me wrong, basically that can be said about most of Emmerich's movies - they are just popcorn cinema - leave your brain at the ticket counter. still, i enjoyed the likes of "Independence Day" or even "The Day After Tomorrow". But the one thing, he can't do properly is "good"-emotional cinema - which works fine in some of his other movies when his pathos-laden, goofy dialogue writing doesn't get in the way of the big explosions - it fit's, makes them funnier to a point. unfortunately this doesn't work for 2012. if somebody could actually cut this movie down to 90minutes running time, i'd even be lining up for a second ticket.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Tibetan Mandarin Russian Hindi Portuguese Latin Italian Spanish

Release Date:

13 November 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Farewell Atlantis

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$65,237,614, 15 November 2009

Gross USA:

$166,112,167

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$791,217,826

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Centropolis Entertainment, Farewell Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

158 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS Dolby Atmos (Ultra HD Blu-ray release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1