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Special Features
"Time For Miracles" Music Video by Adam Lambert
Commentary with Writer/Director Roland Emmerich and Co-Writer Harald Kloser
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Ending
Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic
Commentary with Writer/Director Roland Emmerich and Co-Writer Harald Kloser
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Ending
Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Now this is how you destroy the world. Roland Emmerich's 2012 pounces on a Nostradamus-style loophole in the Mayan calendar and rams the apocalypse through it, gleefully conjuring up an enormous amount of Saturday-matinee fun in the process. A scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) detects shifting continental plates and sun flares and realizes that this foretells the imminent destruction of the planet. Just as the molten lava is about to hit the fan, a novelist (John Cusack) takes his kids on a trip to Yellowstone; later he'll hook up with his ex (Amanda Peet) and her new boyfriend (Tom McCarthy) in a global journey toward safety. If there is any safety. The suitably hair-raising plot lines are punctuated--frequently, people, frequently--by visions of mayhem around the globe: the Vatican falls over, the White House is clobbered (Emmerich's Independence Day was not enough on that score), and the California coastline dives into the Pacific Ocean. Unlike other action directors we could name, Emmerich actually understands how to let you see and drink in these vast special-effects vistas--and they are incredible. He also honors the old Irwin Allen disaster-movie tradition by actually shelling out for good actors. Cusack and Ejiofor are convincing even in the cheesiest material; toss in Danny Glover (the U.S. president), Woody Harrelson (a nut-bar conspiracy-theorizing radio host), Thandie Newton, and Oliver Platt, and you've got a very watchable batch of people. Emmerich hasn't developed an ear for dialogue, even at this stage in his career, and the final act goes on a bit too long. This is a very silly movie, but if you've got a weakness for B-movie energy and hairbreadth escapes, 2012 delivers quite a bit of both. --Robert Horton
Stills from 2012 (Click for larger image)
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Product Description
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Usually I have major problems with disaster movies because the characters and plot get lost in all the action packed special effects. Even most of the acting takes a backseat but with 2012 it's a little different. At times it can be very silly and over the top but to be honest this movie was so intense I didn't pay attention to the faults of this film. I just didn't care. 2012 honestly kept me on the edge of my seat most of the way through and let me tell you the special effects were mind blowing! Absolutely remarkable! It's worth watching just for the visuals alone, seriously. This is the real purpose of CGI. Everything nowadays is too much CGI and it's ruining films in my opinion because it's over-used in films that don't need it. For something like this that goes beyond anyone's imagination is just perfect and done correctly. Critics will find a lot of things wrong with this movie because it's not perfect, nor is any movie but this is just pure entertainment at its best. It's intense, sad, and quite sickening how selfish some people can be when the world has turned into complete chaos. Kick back and enjoy this jaw-dropping visual treat!
24 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
...this will be a sci-fi classic watched over and over.
2001 was trashed when it first came out. Starship Troopers, Armageddon, 2010, so many others...were all given poor reviews when they first came out. All became insanely CLASSIC flicks watched by sci-fi fans every time they appeared on cable.
This movie is no different. Fantastic, and I mean FANTASTIC (if not totally science correct)special effects ROCK in this film. Don't let some of the cheesy Hollywood type theatrics (ending) get in the way. There are so many big names in this film that make this film fun to watch. Everything except the kitchen sink is thrown in to make this movie one of the best `end of the world' films ever made. The Woody Harrelson scenes (as the lunatic who transmits live as Yellowstone explodes) are eye-popping (and the spot where he pulls his pants up to cover butt crack when the caldera finally blows is a nice comic bit). I love the Chinese working faster and more efficiently to create immense life boat arks....makes a sideways slap statement about the USA lacking the ability to respond to disasters in the current world environment. The Tibetan mountain scenes, the destruction of L.A. the west coast cities sliding into the Pacific Ocean, the pyroclastic cloud taking out Las Vegas while CG, are done so brilliantly, the destruction of Washington D.C. and the Vatican....so graphic they look real. By the way, Cusack is excellent in this flick. So is Danny Glover as the U.S. president who goes down with his country (crushed by an aircraft carrier atop a HUGE tidal wave). Oliver Pratt plays a great A-hole politician, and George Segal tugs the emotional strings.
You've all seen the movie by now. My review is years late, but I just wanted to put my 2 cents out there. Watch this for the incredible special effects, especially in HD, with 5.1 sound (7.1 is WAY better). While I watch this over and over on the FXHD channel, my blu-ray version is so much cleaner and sharper.
2001 was trashed when it first came out. Starship Troopers, Armageddon, 2010, so many others...were all given poor reviews when they first came out. All became insanely CLASSIC flicks watched by sci-fi fans every time they appeared on cable.
This movie is no different. Fantastic, and I mean FANTASTIC (if not totally science correct)special effects ROCK in this film. Don't let some of the cheesy Hollywood type theatrics (ending) get in the way. There are so many big names in this film that make this film fun to watch. Everything except the kitchen sink is thrown in to make this movie one of the best `end of the world' films ever made. The Woody Harrelson scenes (as the lunatic who transmits live as Yellowstone explodes) are eye-popping (and the spot where he pulls his pants up to cover butt crack when the caldera finally blows is a nice comic bit). I love the Chinese working faster and more efficiently to create immense life boat arks....makes a sideways slap statement about the USA lacking the ability to respond to disasters in the current world environment. The Tibetan mountain scenes, the destruction of L.A. the west coast cities sliding into the Pacific Ocean, the pyroclastic cloud taking out Las Vegas while CG, are done so brilliantly, the destruction of Washington D.C. and the Vatican....so graphic they look real. By the way, Cusack is excellent in this flick. So is Danny Glover as the U.S. president who goes down with his country (crushed by an aircraft carrier atop a HUGE tidal wave). Oliver Pratt plays a great A-hole politician, and George Segal tugs the emotional strings.
You've all seen the movie by now. My review is years late, but I just wanted to put my 2 cents out there. Watch this for the incredible special effects, especially in HD, with 5.1 sound (7.1 is WAY better). While I watch this over and over on the FXHD channel, my blu-ray version is so much cleaner and sharper.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Movie - 3.0
When I first saw this in theaters I had somewhat high expectations. The only previous Emmerich films I'd seen prior to this were Independence Day and Godzilla. Given my limited experience to his work, but with remnants of nostalgia from ID4 (loved it as a kid), I went in expecting this same kind of formula: an element of doom that threatens humanity (malevolent aliens, or in this case the end of the world), people uniting in response to that threat (after the damage had already been done, of course), and in the process exposing humanity's faults for what they are, therefore, eliminating our differences and bringing us closer together as a people. I caught on to this back in the theater, but naivety got the best of me and I think my change in tastes over the years (it's been about a decade since I've seen either of those movies) has caused me to over-analyze Emmerich's latest film. To be blunt, I hated this movie the first time I saw it. The cheese, campiness, ostentatious melodrama, and writing problems bugged me. Now? I don't think it's as bad as before. Despite this movie being a little longer than I'd like, I actually found some very profound themes on a subsequent viewing: mortality (how we take life for granted), selflessness (or vice versa, if you look at all the snobbery throughout some of the characters), and just the very fact of how disconnected we are as a species (which Emmerich tries to build through the many, many characters and their relationships throughout the film, but never really succeeds in fleshing out). The special effects are spiffy and I'm really starting to like Chiwetel Ejiofor as an actor. Maybe I found these themes by accident, but turning my mind to "popcorn mode" actually made said themes a little more impacting overall. With that said, these themes are still too unfocused than can make up for all the cheese and "fun," but I can say I actually like the movie at least a little more than I disliked it before. If I had to summarize the movie, I'd say "go popcorn, but expect a few surprises."
Video - 4.5
Sony presents us with an excellent 1080p picture in an original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 framed at 2.39. Colors are especially prominent and diverse throughout the film ranging from very accurate skin tones to lush landscape views and, of course, meteorological destruction. This is complimented by outstanding contrast levels making explosions, smoke, and all that other CG anarchy look flawless. Black levels are also handled near-perfectly, though I think I saw a little color banding through some of the darker-lit scenes. Sharpness, details, textures, and line delineation are also spot-on, adding a great sense of depth and HD pop to the film's presentation. Water during the tsunami scenes in particular stand out to me the most and, despite the weak writing, are amazing to look at from a visual and aesthetic point of view. All the crumbling buildings, fireballs, and earth-splitting are certainly a sight to behold. If at least not for the corresponding reference audio, this is a demo-worthy disc to showcase your HD home theaters for video as well. Which brings me to...
Audio - 5.0
These days in Hollywood, mayhem usually begets a very strong and active sound field. 2012 is no exception to that as Sony's DTS-HD 5.1 track is every bit as frenetic and chaotic as what you're seeing on the screen. High and low ends are reproduced perfectly. Grinding gravel, shattering glass, the rumbling earth, molten lava, gargantuan tidal waves, vehicle engines, and every other discernible sound effect add an extra level of realism that make the special effects so much more enjoyable. The sub-woofer stays relatively quiet pre-Apocalypse, but when that crust displacement thing starts kicking in, you'll be happy to know that sub you bought is earning its money's worth. Dialogue also stays clear throughout the entire film, never losing consistency in volume level. Separation of said dialogue and all the special effects noises are never a problem either, with directionality giving a very spacious feeling to said destruction all across the sound board. Again, like the video, this would make an especially good reference BD to wow and showcase to your friends.
Extras - 3.5
As much as I like to give commentaries a listen for whatever kind of extra information on production or writing that they have, I'm going to be honest and say I don't think I have it in me to sit through this movie two more times for both a P-i-P and audio commentary track. After watching the standalone featurettes on disc 2, I find Roland Emmerich to be something of a paradox. He seems like a very detail-attentive director who takes pride in his craft; that craft for this particular movie being a spiffy visual feast of destruction, mayhem, and a sort of child-like imagination in the way those ideas come to fruition. However, unlike a Michael Bay or Jon Turteltaub who both possess that "big kid director" kind of approach to movie-making, I feel Emmerich lacks in general enthusiasm as a whole, at least that's the feeling I got from the interviews here. And to sit through two and a half hours of that blandness twice is just not something I'd rather use my free time for. That being said, I give Sony a lot of credit for putting these extras together. A good majority of them focus a lot on production and the ego of Emmerich and his "master technique" for making epic disaster films (of which only one really stands out to me at this time), while the rest of the features are tied into the whole Mayan Calender and impending Apocalypse craze. I found these parts to be interesting at some points, but then blatantly insulting at others. For a movie about the end of the world that supposedly uses scientific "truth" and reasoning for a believable premise, the "experts" interviewed here are more than adamant to the point of either saying "it could happen," or as that one scientist said "it will happen [and that I've been right all along because this movie is so well-crafted by Emmerich, how can it not be the truth?]." On top of that, he goes on to use the excuse that the reason most regular people won't believe his theory is because of a subconscious defense to the "fear" that our lives will, indeed, end when he says it will according to the Mayan Calender. Take from these segments what you will, but after such a brazen display in ideological put-downs that nearly defeated the purpose of the movie for me, I have to say it's a strange array of extras that gets an A in effort, but a C in continuity and bias.
Overall - 4.0
I didn't like the film so much the first time around, but was surprised upon a repeat viewing. For me, I like movies that manage to have a little bit of everything: good production values, an engaging story and/or characters that, when aptly put together, make for some semblance of entertainment or thought-provocation, and a good cast of actors/actresses. 2012, while on the extremely high end of production values, also has a surprising amount profundity with more or less cookie-cutter archetypal characters, though with a good performance by one Chiwetal Ejiofor. Consequently, the presence of many an absurdity represented by some of the supporting/unnecessary characters, cheesy screenplay, silly script, and unfocused attention to some of the finer details in the writing ruin what could've made this a much more fulfilling and epic Apocalypse film. I wish I could say this is more than another popcorn flick and a definite must-own title outside of its reference A/V presentation, but I consider this a rental at best. However, if you're happy enough with the popcorn mentality and aren't bothered by some of the movie's faults, then this is definitely worth adding to your collection.
When I first saw this in theaters I had somewhat high expectations. The only previous Emmerich films I'd seen prior to this were Independence Day and Godzilla. Given my limited experience to his work, but with remnants of nostalgia from ID4 (loved it as a kid), I went in expecting this same kind of formula: an element of doom that threatens humanity (malevolent aliens, or in this case the end of the world), people uniting in response to that threat (after the damage had already been done, of course), and in the process exposing humanity's faults for what they are, therefore, eliminating our differences and bringing us closer together as a people. I caught on to this back in the theater, but naivety got the best of me and I think my change in tastes over the years (it's been about a decade since I've seen either of those movies) has caused me to over-analyze Emmerich's latest film. To be blunt, I hated this movie the first time I saw it. The cheese, campiness, ostentatious melodrama, and writing problems bugged me. Now? I don't think it's as bad as before. Despite this movie being a little longer than I'd like, I actually found some very profound themes on a subsequent viewing: mortality (how we take life for granted), selflessness (or vice versa, if you look at all the snobbery throughout some of the characters), and just the very fact of how disconnected we are as a species (which Emmerich tries to build through the many, many characters and their relationships throughout the film, but never really succeeds in fleshing out). The special effects are spiffy and I'm really starting to like Chiwetel Ejiofor as an actor. Maybe I found these themes by accident, but turning my mind to "popcorn mode" actually made said themes a little more impacting overall. With that said, these themes are still too unfocused than can make up for all the cheese and "fun," but I can say I actually like the movie at least a little more than I disliked it before. If I had to summarize the movie, I'd say "go popcorn, but expect a few surprises."
Video - 4.5
Sony presents us with an excellent 1080p picture in an original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 framed at 2.39. Colors are especially prominent and diverse throughout the film ranging from very accurate skin tones to lush landscape views and, of course, meteorological destruction. This is complimented by outstanding contrast levels making explosions, smoke, and all that other CG anarchy look flawless. Black levels are also handled near-perfectly, though I think I saw a little color banding through some of the darker-lit scenes. Sharpness, details, textures, and line delineation are also spot-on, adding a great sense of depth and HD pop to the film's presentation. Water during the tsunami scenes in particular stand out to me the most and, despite the weak writing, are amazing to look at from a visual and aesthetic point of view. All the crumbling buildings, fireballs, and earth-splitting are certainly a sight to behold. If at least not for the corresponding reference audio, this is a demo-worthy disc to showcase your HD home theaters for video as well. Which brings me to...
Audio - 5.0
These days in Hollywood, mayhem usually begets a very strong and active sound field. 2012 is no exception to that as Sony's DTS-HD 5.1 track is every bit as frenetic and chaotic as what you're seeing on the screen. High and low ends are reproduced perfectly. Grinding gravel, shattering glass, the rumbling earth, molten lava, gargantuan tidal waves, vehicle engines, and every other discernible sound effect add an extra level of realism that make the special effects so much more enjoyable. The sub-woofer stays relatively quiet pre-Apocalypse, but when that crust displacement thing starts kicking in, you'll be happy to know that sub you bought is earning its money's worth. Dialogue also stays clear throughout the entire film, never losing consistency in volume level. Separation of said dialogue and all the special effects noises are never a problem either, with directionality giving a very spacious feeling to said destruction all across the sound board. Again, like the video, this would make an especially good reference BD to wow and showcase to your friends.
Extras - 3.5
As much as I like to give commentaries a listen for whatever kind of extra information on production or writing that they have, I'm going to be honest and say I don't think I have it in me to sit through this movie two more times for both a P-i-P and audio commentary track. After watching the standalone featurettes on disc 2, I find Roland Emmerich to be something of a paradox. He seems like a very detail-attentive director who takes pride in his craft; that craft for this particular movie being a spiffy visual feast of destruction, mayhem, and a sort of child-like imagination in the way those ideas come to fruition. However, unlike a Michael Bay or Jon Turteltaub who both possess that "big kid director" kind of approach to movie-making, I feel Emmerich lacks in general enthusiasm as a whole, at least that's the feeling I got from the interviews here. And to sit through two and a half hours of that blandness twice is just not something I'd rather use my free time for. That being said, I give Sony a lot of credit for putting these extras together. A good majority of them focus a lot on production and the ego of Emmerich and his "master technique" for making epic disaster films (of which only one really stands out to me at this time), while the rest of the features are tied into the whole Mayan Calender and impending Apocalypse craze. I found these parts to be interesting at some points, but then blatantly insulting at others. For a movie about the end of the world that supposedly uses scientific "truth" and reasoning for a believable premise, the "experts" interviewed here are more than adamant to the point of either saying "it could happen," or as that one scientist said "it will happen [and that I've been right all along because this movie is so well-crafted by Emmerich, how can it not be the truth?]." On top of that, he goes on to use the excuse that the reason most regular people won't believe his theory is because of a subconscious defense to the "fear" that our lives will, indeed, end when he says it will according to the Mayan Calender. Take from these segments what you will, but after such a brazen display in ideological put-downs that nearly defeated the purpose of the movie for me, I have to say it's a strange array of extras that gets an A in effort, but a C in continuity and bias.
Overall - 4.0
I didn't like the film so much the first time around, but was surprised upon a repeat viewing. For me, I like movies that manage to have a little bit of everything: good production values, an engaging story and/or characters that, when aptly put together, make for some semblance of entertainment or thought-provocation, and a good cast of actors/actresses. 2012, while on the extremely high end of production values, also has a surprising amount profundity with more or less cookie-cutter archetypal characters, though with a good performance by one Chiwetal Ejiofor. Consequently, the presence of many an absurdity represented by some of the supporting/unnecessary characters, cheesy screenplay, silly script, and unfocused attention to some of the finer details in the writing ruin what could've made this a much more fulfilling and epic Apocalypse film. I wish I could say this is more than another popcorn flick and a definite must-own title outside of its reference A/V presentation, but I consider this a rental at best. However, if you're happy enough with the popcorn mentality and aren't bothered by some of the movie's faults, then this is definitely worth adding to your collection.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun to watch!
2012 was a fun movie to watch and it was pretty awesome to see the overwhelming destruction of the earth!
Published 3 days ago by ######
4.0 out of 5 stars
2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
Pretty good movie for an "End of the World" story. I think this will eventually end up being one of the camp classics...good for a sci-fi movie. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Sherry
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome film
There are a few bloopers or far-fetched concepts, but on the whole it is great for someone who teaches science through film.
Published 7 days ago by patricia young
5.0 out of 5 stars
HD Blu-ray much good
Some movies were meant for HD and this is a perfect example, WOW does this movie POP in HD. The digital transfer is perfect from start to finish.
Published 7 days ago by Tony Koonts
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this disaster movie!
There are very few movies that involve the total destruction of Earth (or our way of life) and this is one of the more entertaining. A must add if you enjoy this genre.
Published 9 days ago by Kathleen Koch
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Movie
I really liked the story and the special effects. There was even an alternate ending on the DVD I enjoyed. I actually liked the alternate better than the real ending.
Published 13 days ago by J. Wallace
2.0 out of 5 stars
2 stars for effort! I think it's time you find another line of work...
This film is very formula ridden, but the news is not all bad. The best portions of the production happen during the first half of the movie when the greatest destruction takes... Read more
Published 17 days ago by Natja Kristy
4.0 out of 5 stars
DVD
I viewed this movie in the past and could not remember some of the details so I wanted a copy for my library.
Published 28 days ago by Donna M. Webb
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hollywood Futurists
2012, now being behind us, the movie of the same year evolves into pure entertainment.
Prophecies, Biblical and otherwise, are intertwined and in some cases even... Read more
Prophecies, Biblical and otherwise, are intertwined and in some cases even... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Greenstone
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved It
What can I say but that I enjoyed this movie so much I have it in my Amazon On Line collection of movies. I really enjoy it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Diane
