2012

2012 – Learning that the Earth’s core is suddenly heating up due to a solar flare, scientist Adrian Helmsley realises that it could potentially wipe out life on the planet. Taking his findings to the President, an operation begins to save as much of the Earth as possible. When the natural disasters start sooner than expected, the general public (who have not been warned of what faces them) become the first victims of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. With each natural event being worse than the last, can a few survivors make their way to the safety of several arks that have been built to withstand the coming apocalypse?

2012 (2009) – Director: Roland Emmerich

Rating: 12

Running Length: 158 mins

Starring: John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet

Genre: Disaster

REVIEW: ‘2012’

With the hype of the Mayan apocalyptic conspiracy theory making for some great popcorn fodder, ‘2012’ is a disaster movie of epic proportions. Throwing all sorts of natural disasters into the mix, audiences were sure to be kept enthralled by the spectacle on-screen.

With big names like Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Cusack and Danny Glover on the cast list, some gravitas is brought into a movie which is otherwise over-long and somewhat ridiculous. While there are no bad performances, the characters are mostly clichés and many of the disasters are over the top, even if they are impressive to see. Having said that, ‘2012’ isn’t a bad film and has a lot of entertainment value. Its attempts to be the epitome of disaster movies mean that it is very likely to be appealing to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Overall, ‘2012’ is a perfectly watchable movie; it’s familiar plot and depth-lacking characters are easily overlooked for anyone who just wants entertainment, excitement and impressive visuals.

CONTENT: IS ‘2012’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

We have highlighted below the strongest scenes in the movie, however it should be noted that there are many other scenes where innocent people are killed as well as some major characters.

There are several intense scenes, particularly when the major disasters start to happen. One scene shows a family driving through a city while an earthquake rips through it. Houses are destroyed and vehicles are seen to fall into huge cracks that have appeared in the ground. Two elderly women are shown driving a car which crashes into a wall, presumably killing them. Very little death is actually seen however it is clear that thousands are dead.

Another scene shows a father and son racing in a vehicle while a huge volcano erupts behind them. This volcano kills one established character and the pair in the vehicle narrowly escape the huge boulders that crash around them; they have to travel for a few miles which increases the intensity of the scene.

An old woman is shown holding a chicken and an axe while she talks to another character. She holds the chicken on to a block of wood and when the conversation ends, she chops it’s head off. The camera shows the axe coming down but cuts away before anything graphic is shown although the thud of the axe on the wood is still heard.

One character calls a family member on the phone but just as the phone is picked up, an earthquake rips through the house and presumably them and their family are killed before the two can speak. This is quite upsetting and shows that forgiveness is more important than pride, especially with loved ones because sometimes it can be too late to make amends.

One character falls into the mechanism of a huge ship and despite other characters’ attempts to save him, he gets pulled in and crushed. There is some grief over this character’s death, however as the situation continues to become more desperate, the efforts of survival take over the emotional distress.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘2012’ FOR KIDS?

‘2012’ is an enjoyable movie despite it’s over the top story and somewhat unbelievable situations that its character’s are put in. While it is unlikely to be everyone’s favourite, the fun and entertainment factor will undoubtedly endear it to many a disaster movie fan. Due to the scale of the disasters, it is made clear that millions of people are killed, some of which are shown on-screen; because some younger kids may find this distressing, we feel that ‘2012’ should be suitable for most kids aged 8 and over.

• Violence: 3/5 (very little violence between characters, however there are many deaths due to natural disasters, including volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis)
• Emotional Distress: 2/5 (one character talks to a loved one and it becomes clear that they are unlikely to ever see them again. Many established characters are killed, however deaths aren’t lingered upon and are not too upsetting)
• Fear Factor: 2/5 (some of the situations seem desperate however these scenes tend to be more exciting than frightening)
• Sexual Content: 3/5 (one character tells another ‘I don’t wanna know where you and mom had sex’. A couple start kissing, the man has his hands all over the woman’s body and he says ‘let’s make a baby’. They are both fully clothed and this isn’t too strong)
• Bad Language: 4/5 (some moderate cursing and blasphemy, one strong word is used another is cut off half way through. One character sticks their middle finger up at another character)
• Dialogue: 2/5 (some inevitable conversations about death and loved ones who have died. The dilemma of allowing rich people to be saved while the poor are left to die is raised and debated)
• A news report shows several dead bodies on the floor and the voice-over explains that there has been a mass suicide but there is no blood or gore.
• One character has an implied alcohol problem when he goes to have a drink and someone says to him ‘after twenty five years on the wagon?’.
• Other notes: Deals with themes of the global and personal effects of natural disasters, losing loved ones, the different ways in which people react to desperate situations, adultery, divorced and step families, estranged family, survivalism and self-sacrifice.

Words by Laura Record

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