2012 (www.the-usher.com)

"The world as we know it is about to end"

When Indian scientist Dr. Satnam Tsurutani (Mistry) makes a shocking geological discovery in 2009, his good friend Dr. Adrian Helmsely (Ejiofor) informs the President of the Untied States, Thomas Wilson (Glover) and the governments of the world start to plan. 2012, as the world starts to experience an increase in small Earth tremors, Jackson Curtis (Cusack) prepares to take his son and daughter to Yellowstone Park on a camping trip. When Los Angeles experience a large earthquake, his ex-wife Kate (Peet) demands that he brings them home but Jackson discovers that the earthquake is just the start of something much bigger and the end of the world, which the Mayan calendar predicted might just be coming true.

When it comes to causing the end of the world, people will blame the governments, big business, war, terrorists and the environment but no one has destroyed civilisation more times than Roland Emmerich.

The disaster movie has been the stable part of the blockbuster movement for decades, destroying the world in a multitude of ways. ‘The Towering Inferno’, ‘Earthquake’, ‘Twister’, ‘Armageddon’, ‘Deep Impact’, ‘I am Legend’, ‘When World’s Collide’, ‘The Poseidon Adventure’, ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’, ‘Dante’s Peak’, the list goes on and on with people been put in jeopardy because of viruses, asteroids, volcanoes, earthquakes, fire, storms and tsunamis coming to wipe us out. Filmmakers clearly enjoy doing this but writer/director Roland Emmerich loves this.

After using aliens to destroy most of the world’s capital cities in ‘Independence Day’, a radioactive giant lizard in ‘Godzilla’ and a new ice age in ‘The Day After Tomorrow’, Roland Emmerich turns to the Mayan calendar this time around. The synopsis explains that the ancient calendar predicted that the world will end on 21st December 2012. This happens because the planets in our solar system will align causing the sun to produce a huge solar flare, which in turn causes the earth’s core to begin to heat up. In 2009 Indian scientist Dr. Satnam Tsurutani discovers this, he predicts that the mantel holding the continents in place with melt, leading to continental shift. This means simply, the world, as we know it, will come to an end.

This simple plot is, of course, just an excuse for Roland Emmerich and his very creative visual effects team to destroy the world again. Here we see California fall into the Pacific, Yellowstone Park become a super volcano and Washington D.C. become submerged under a huge tsunami and all through the magic of computer generated visual effects. New technology means that if a filmmaker can imagine it, it can be shown on screen and while this still has some wow factor, the cinematic audience is starting to become a little blasé towards the CGI. It also means that the film is more like a one hundred and fifty-eight minute roller coaster ride than a movie.

This is even more evident when it comes to showing the human side to the disaster. Here we have a failed author and divorcee, Jackson Curtis played by John Cusack who is estranged from his children and is desperate to become part of their lives again. Competing with his ex-wife Kate’s (Amanda Peet) new husband Gordon (Tom McCarthy) for their attention, he plans a camping trip to Yellowstone Park to reconnect but as you’d expect, all hell breaks loose. As will all disaster movies, there has to be a everyman element who goes up against the impending doom but John Cusack doesn’t look like he would be the man to survive, let lone save his family. Oliver Platt is the usual political villain, Woody Harrelson is the mad man who has everything right and Chiwetel Ejiofor is the scientist who discovers the coming disaster. None of the characters have a story arch that will have you really caring but at the end of the day (world) they are just stopgaps to the next action sequence.

‘2012’ is a big disaster movie that is all about destroying the world and destroying any resemblance of character development or story. While the visual effects are stunning and they bring the many action sequences to life, blockbuster films have to have more substance to them and not be just a roller coaster ride. This aside, you can’t help but enjoy the action and it makes the film a lot more watchable than it should have been.

PICTURE & SOUND

The Blu-Ray disc presents the movie in High Definition wide screen 2:40 up to 1080p, with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary with writer/director Roland Emmerich and co-writer Harald Kloser
The man at the helm and his co-writer bring you a chatty and informative commentary about the making of ‘2012’. With insights into how this came about, the Mayan influence, the science and what it is like destroying the world again. This is another good commentary track from Roland Emmerich and a good listen for fans.

Mysteries of the Mayan Calendar (3.53 mins/HD)
This short featurette explains how the Mayan calendar works and the importance of 21st December 2012. Interactive Mayan Calendar See how the calendar actually works and discover how your own birthday is seen in this ancient timepiece.

Picture-in-Picture: Roland’s Vision
Watch ‘2012’ with video commentary for key scenes with Roland Emmerich, recorded during the actual production of the movie.

Designing the end of the World (26.03 mins/HD)
Director Roland Emmerich, producer Mark Gordon, production designer Barry Chusid and stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thomas McCarthy and Thandie Newton take you behind the scenes of some of the big destructive moments of the film.

Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic (9.31 mins/HD)
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thomas McCarthy, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson and Oliver Platt talk about working with Roland Emmerich.

The End of the World: The Actor’s Prospective (7.34 mins/HD)
Director Roland Emmerich and stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thomas McCarthy, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson and Oliver Platt talk about their roles in the film and what it was like to act if the world was ending.

Science behind the Destruction (13.19 mins/HD)
Director Roland Emmerich, co-writer Harald Kloser and producer Mark Gordon talk about the origins of the story and the science of the world coming to an end.

Deleted Scenes (4.55 mins/HD)
Entitled ‘Limo drive with Twins’, ‘President Wilson talks to Sally’, ‘Something must have gone wrong’, ‘Jackson underwater’ and ‘Anheuser apologies’, these deleted scene suffer from the lack of a commentary or introduction to explain why they were removed.

Alternate Ending (3.39 mins)
This alternate version suffers from the lack of a commentary or introduction to explain why it was not used.

BD Live
Place the Blu-Ray in an internet enabled player or PS3 and get access to extra bonus material for 2012.

Movie IQ
Place the Blu-Ray in an internet enabled player or PS3 and receive real time stats about the movie as you watch.

OVERALL

The Blu-Ray treatment for ‘2012’ is one that fans should enjoy. The commentary and featurettes are good but it is the inclusion of the Mayan interactive calendar, which make this a much better package than it could have been. Not a disaster but one that fans will get the most out of.

BLU-RAY

Independance Day

Godzilla

The Day After Tomorrow

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2009