2012 (2009)
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As a series of catastrophic geological events threatens to destroy the Earth, a father must navigate a crumbling world to reach safety.
The story
In 2009, geologist Adrian Helmsley discovers a solar flare is heating the Earth's core, leading to a global crisis. By 2012, the world faces an eschatological sequence of events including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and megatsunamis. Amidst the chaos, novelist Jackson Curtis finds himself in a desperate race to reunite with his family. As the planet's crust begins to shift and infrastructure collapses, Jackson must navigate a crumbling landscape to find safety. The film follows various characters across the globe as they struggle to survive the impending apocalypse while the world's governments attempt to manage the unfolding catastrophe.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2009, geologist Adrian Helmsley discovers a solar flare is heating the Earth's core. By 2012, the world faces a series of catastrophic events. Novelist Jackson Curtis, while in Los Angeles, learns of the impending disaster from a conspiracy theorist. As a massive earthquake strikes the San Andreas Fault, Jackson and his children flee toward the Himalayas. They join a group including the wealthy Karpov family and others seeking refuge on 'arks' built by the G8. The journey takes them through a collapsing Las Vegas and into the mountains. During a desperate scramble to board Ark 4, several characters are lost to the elements or the crowd. After the megatsunami strikes, the survivors remain on the ark as the waters recede, eventually reaching the Cape of Good Hope where they begin to rebuild.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 158
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Roland Emmerich
- Writers
- Roland Emmerich · writer; Harald Kloser · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Cusack · Jackson Curtis; Chiwetel Ejiofor · Adrian Helmsley; Amanda Peet; Oliver Platt; Thandiwe Newton; Danny Glover · President Thomas Wilson; Woody Harrelson
- Genres
- disaster; science fiction
- Themes
- survival; apocalypse
- Tone and mood
- action; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- disaster; science fiction; apocalyptic
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2012 phenomenon
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success despite mixed reviews, praised for its visual effects and scale but criticized for its script.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 40% · scale: percentage · review count: 242; Metacritic · score: 49 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Awards · Best Action, Adventure, or Thriller Film · 36th · Nominated; Saturn Awards · Best Special Effects · 36th · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film's marketing included a viral website where fans could register for a lottery to be 'saved' from the disaster.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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