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2012 (2009)

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2012 Poster

November 13, 2009

2012 is a 2009 American epic disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich. It was produced by Harald Kloser, Mark Gordon, and Larry J. Franco, and written by Kloser and Emmerich. The film stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oliver Platt, Thandiwe Newton (credited as Thandie Newton), Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson. Based on the 2012 phenomenon, its plot follows geologist Adrian Helmsley (Ejiofor) and novelist Jackson Curtis (Cusack) as they struggle to survive an eschatological sequence of events including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mega tsunamis and a global flood, all of which were imagined by subscribers to the hypothesis.

Filming, planned for Los Angeles, began in Vancouver in early August 2008 and wrapped up in mid-October 2008. After a lengthy advertising campaign which included the creation of a website from its main characters' point of view and a viral marketing website on which filmgoers could register for a lottery number to save them from the ensuing disaster, 2012 was released on November 13, 2009, to commercial success, grossing over $791 million worldwide against a production budget of $200 million, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 2009. The film received mixed reviews, with praise for its visual effects, but criticism of its screenplay and runtime.

Storyline[]

In 2009, American geologist Adrian Helmsley visits astrophysicist Satnam Tsurutani in East India and learns that a new type of neutrino from a solar flare is heating the Earth's core. Returning to Washington, D.C., Adrian alerts White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser and President Thomas Wilson.

In 2010, over forty-six nations begin building nine arks in the Himalayas in Tibet and storing artifacts in secure locations. Nima, a Buddhist monk, is evacuated with his grandparents, and his brother Tenzin joins the ark project. Additional funding is secretly raised by selling tickets to the rich for €1 billion per person.

In 2012, struggling science-fiction writer Jackson Curtis is a chauffeur in Los Angeles for Russian billionaire Yuri Karpov. Jackson's ex-wife Kate and their children, Noah and Lilly, live with Kate's boyfriend, plastic surgeon and amateur pilot Gordon Silberman. Jackson takes Noah and Lilly camping in Yellowstone National Park. When they find the Yellowstone Lake dried and fenced off by the United States Army, they are caught and brought to Adrian. They later meet conspiracy theorist and radio personality Charlie Frost, who tells Jackson of Charles Hapgood's theory that polar shift and the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar predict a 2012 phenomenon and the worldwide catastrophes, and that the world's governments silence anyone attempting to warn the public about them. Jackson heeds Charlie's warning after the swift departure of Yuri's sons Alec and Oleg and then rents a Cessna 340A to rescue his family. As the disaster fractures the San Andreas Fault, Jackson and his family reach the Santa Monica Airportand get the plane airborne just before the Pacific Coast slides into the ocean. The group flies to Yellowstone and retrieve Charlie's map of the arks' location. The Yellowstone Caldera erupts, with Charlie staying behind to finish his broadcast; he is killed by debris. Realizing they need a larger plane to ensure fuel efficiency, the group lands at McCarran International Airport south of Downtown Las Vegas to search for one.

Adrian, Carl, and First Daughter Laura fly to the arks, while President Wilson remains in the White House to address the nation. Jackson finds the Karpovs, Yuri's girlfriend Tamara, and their pilot Sasha. Sasha and Gordon fly them out in an Antonov An-500 as the volcanic ashes from the Caldera envelops the Las Vegas Valley. Billions die in disasters worldwide, including President Wilson. With the presidential line of succession gone following the Vice President's death, Carl appoints himself acting commander-in-chief.

Upon reaching the Himalayas, the plane's engines malfunction. The party uses a Bentley Flying Spurstored in the hold to escape, while Sasha crash-lands the jet on a glacier which then slides off a cliff, killing him. The survivors are spotted by Chinese Air Force helicopters and they take the Karpovs to the arks, but everyone else is abandoned including Tamara. Nima takes them to the arks with his family. With Tenzin's help, they stowaway to Ark 4.

With a megatsunami approaching, Carl orders the loading gates closed though most people have not boarded. Adrian persuades the captain and the other surviving world leaders to allow passengers aboard the arks, but Yuri falls to his death as he pushes his sons into Ark 4. The gate closes after survivors are on board, injuring Tenzin and crushing Gordon. Tenzin's impact driver used to access the ship gets lodged in the gate mechanism, preventing it from closing completely and disabling the ship's engines. As the tsunami strikes, the back of the ark starts flooding and it is set adrift, heading for Mount Everest. Adrian rushes to clear the gears, but watertight doors close, trapping the stowaways and drowning Tamara. Noah and Jackson dislodge the tool. The crew regains control of the ark, while Jackson and Noah make it back safely.

Twenty-seven days later, the waters are receding. The arks approach the Cape of Good Hope, where the Drakensberg Mountains are the highest mountain range on Earth. Adrian and Laura begin a relationship, while Jackson and Kate reconcile their marriage.

Sound Effects Used[]

Image Gallery[]

Audio Samples[]

Hollywoodedge, Car Alarm Rapid Highp PE075001 is heard briefly twice in the film.

External Links[]

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