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John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt ... see more see more... , Tom McCarthy , Woody Harrelson , Danny Glover , Liam James , Morgan Lily , Zlatko Buric , Beatrice Rosen , Alexandre Haussmann , Philippe Haussmann , Johann Urb , John Billingsley , Chin Han , Osric Chau , Chang Tseng , Lisa Lu , Blu Mankuma , George Segal , Stephen McHattie , Patrick Bauchau , Jimi Mistry , Ryan McDonald , Merrilyn Gann , Henry O , Patrick Gilmore , Dean Marshall , Ronald Selmour , Viv Leacock , Chris Boyd , Donna Yamamoto , Doron Bell Jr. , David Orth , Lyndall Grant , Jason Diablo , Ty Olsson , Zinaid Memisevic , Vincent Cheng , Igor Morozov , B.J. Harrison , Dominic Zamprogna , Karin Konoval , Mary Gillis , Rick Tae , Parm Soor , Gerard Plunkett , Paul Tryl , Andrei Kovski , Val Cole , Eve Harlow , Sean Tyson , Leonard Tenisci , Michael Buffer , Daren A. Herbert , Craig Stanghetta , Mateen Devji , Qayam Devji , Jody Thompson , Tanya Champoux , Frank C. Turner , Kinua McWatt , Laara Sadiq , Gillian Barber , Candus Churchill , Beverley Elliott , Agam Darshi , Raj Lal , Pesi Daruwalla , Jacob Blair , Jay Williams , Scott Miller , Anna Mae Routledge , John Stewart , Ryan Cook , Brandon Haas , Eddie Hassell , Betty Phillips , Georgina Hegedos , Luis Javier , Dean Redman , Gordon Lai , S. Leo Chiang , Elizabeth Richard , Mark Docherty , Mark Oliver , Kyle Riefsnyder , John Mee , Andrew Moxham , Alexandra Castillo , George Trochta , Farouk A. Afify , Shaun Wilson , Leigh Burrows , Alex Zahara , Chad Riley , Thomas Parkinson , Nicole Rudell , Jase-Anthony Griffith , Jill Morrison , Leona Naidoo , Quentin Guyon , Kevin Haaland , Simon Leung , Geoff Gustafson

Disaster movie maven Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) crafts this apocalyptic sci-fi thriller following the prophecy stated by the ancient Mayan calendar, which says that the... read more read more... world will come to an end on December 21, 2012. When a global cataclysm thrusts the world into chaos, divorced writer and father Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) joins the race to ensure that humankind is not completely wiped out. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, and Oliver Platt round out the cast of this end-of-the-world thriller co-scripted by the director and his 10,000 B.C. writer/composer, Harald Kloser. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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63% liked it

395,729 ratings

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39% liked it

236 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Release Date: November 13, 2009

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DVD Release Date: March 2, 2010

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Flixster Reviews (50,758)

  • jmanard52
    March 5, 2010
    jmanard52
    I loved every second of this over the top completely ridiculous movie. But than again I like end of the world flicks. A movie with a group of good actors and I just enjoyed it. In the end if I am entertained a good review it will get.
  • fb7018436
    April 22, 2012
    fb7018436
    at least michael bay tries.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    December 30, 2011
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    First, the Mayan calendar predicted it...Now, science has confirmed it...but we never imagined it could really happen.

    Saw it again and enjoy a few other details I miss the first time I saw it. Very good movie, absolutely a huge treat to watch and enjoy!!!!

    In 2009, American ge... read moreologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) travels to India to meet his friend Satnam, who has discovered that neutrinos from a massive solar flare have penetrated the Earth and are causing the temperature of its core to increase rapidly. Adrian returns to Washington D.C. to inform White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) and US President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover) that this will instigate a chain of events that will bring about the end of the world. At the 36th G8 summit in 2010, other heads of state and heads of government are made aware of the situation. They collaborate to begin a secret project intended to ensure the continuity of human life, strategically choosing 400,000 people for admission on a series of gigantic arks to be constructed in the Himalayas. To help fund the venture, additional individuals are allowed to purchase tickets for one billion euros apiece.

    In 2012, Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) is a writer in Los Angeles who works part time as a limousine driver for Russian billionaire Yuri Karpov. Jackson's ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet) and their children Noah and Lily live with her new boyfriend, plastic surgeon and amateur pilot Gordon. Jackson takes Noah and Lily on a camping trip to Yellowstone National Park, where they meet Charlie Frost, a radio show host and conspiracy theorist. Charlie supports a theory that suggests the Mayans predicted the world would come to an end in 2012, and claims he has knowledge of the ark project and possesses a map of the arks' location. The family returns home as cracks begin to develop along the San Andreas Fault in California and earthquakes occur in the San Francisco Bay area. Jackson grows suspicious and rents a private plane to rescue his family. He collects his family and Gordon when the Earth's crust displacement begins and they escape Los Angeles as it collapses into the Pacific Ocean.

    As millions begin dying in apocalyptic earthquakes worldwide, the group flies to Yellowstone to retrieve Charlie's map. The group narrowly escapes as the Yellowstone Caldera erupts. Charlie, who stayed behind to make a live broadcast of the eruption, is killed by the blast. Realizing the arks are in China, the group lands in Las Vegas, where they meet Yuri, his twin sons, girlfriend Tamara, and pilot Sasha. They join the group and secure a larger plane, the Antonov An-225, to head across the Pacific. Also bound for the arks aboard Air Force One are Anheuser, Adrian, and First Daughter Laura Wilson. President Wilson remained in Washington D.C. to address the nation one last time. He is soon killed by a tsunami that sends the USS John F. Kennedy crashing into the White House. With the Vice President dead and the Speaker of the House missing, Anheuser appoints himself acting Commander-in-Chief.

    Sasha discovers that the plane doesnt have enough fuel to get to china, so they have to make a crash landing in the ocean. But as they get near the ground, they discover that they are indeed in china. The earths crusts have shifted.

    Yuri, who has purchased ark tickets for himself and his sons, deserts the Curtis family, Gordon, and Tamara upon arriving in China. However, the abandoned group is picked up by Nima, a Buddhist monk. Together, they begin sneaking onto an ark through its hydraulics chamber with the help of Nima's brother Tenzin, a welder for the ark project. In his last moments, Satnam calls Adrian to inform him that a tsunami is engulfing India and heading towards the arks. Learning of this, Anheuser orders the arks be sealed before the boarding process is complete, trapping thousands outside. Adrian manages to convince the other G8 leaders to let the remaining people on board. As the ark's tailgate is lowered, Gordon is killed when he falls in between the gears, followed by Tenzin's large electrical power drill. Yuri sacrifices his life to get his two sons on in time, but the obstruction prevents the gate from closing, rendering the ship unable to start its engines. The tsunami arrives and begins to flood the ark, drowning Tamara and setting the ark helplessly adrift. Jackson and Noah work together to free the drill and its cable from the closing mechanism. The gate closes and the crew regains control of the ark, preventing a fatal collision with Mount Everest.

    A title appears that says "Day 27 Month 01 Year 0001"

    When the floodwater from the worldwide tsunamis eventually recedes, satellite data shows that Africa rose in relation to sea level, and its Drakensberg mountains are now the highest on the planet. As the arks set sail for the Cape of Good Hope, Jackson reconciles with his family, and Adrian starts a relationship with Laura. The movie ends with a view of the Earth revealing all continents have merged, and are in the shape of the African continent.
  • Redlats
    December 26, 2011
    Redlats
    2012 is when the earth ends, right? By watching this movie, we get to see how it happens. Don't save your pennies as money will do you no good when the whole earth is flooded.
  • blkbomb
    December 11, 2011
    blkbomb
    President Thomas Wilson: Six months ago, I was made aware of a situation so devastating that, at first, I refused to believe it. However, through the concerted efforts of our brightest scientist, we have confirmed its validity. The world, as we know it, will soon come to an end. ... read more

    "We Were Warned."

    2012 is THE end of the world disaster epic to see. Roland Emmerich takes everything he did in The Day After Tomorrow and super sizes it into a big effects thriller. As you would guess, the movie isn't amazing, but it is fun and that's what I look for in a disaster film. I don't look for intelligence, but for big stupid fun and huge effects. This movie has it all when it comes to what makes disaster movies great. The effects will blow you away. 

    A divorced father must lead his family and his wife's new husband to safety when the world around them starts to collapse. We were told by an ancient civilization that the world would end on December 21, 2012.(Oh shit, that's like a year away! Better enjoy this last year everybody.) His adventure leads them through collapsing roads, between collapsing skyscrapers and ultimately to the one thing that could save them. Think biblically. 

    This is a movie that you should probably know whether you will like it or not before watching it. If you like disaster movies, then odds are you will like this one too, as it is one of the better ones I have seen. If you see these movies as a waste of time; quit wasting your time watching them. 

    It's a lot of fun and the cast is pretty awesome, especially John Cusack and a small, but cool role from Woody Harrelson. The film is pure entertainment, don't expect anything more or anything less.
  • aquateen2
    December 2, 2011
    aquateen2
    The new movie by one of my least favorite drectors Roland Emmerich who directed/doomed us with Independence Day and 10000 B.C has brought out yet another abomination. It's as if he's remade his other film (which wasn't that bad) The Day After Tommorow but with even more CGI and m... read moreinus a script that works. 2012 is completely uninspired although based on a legend everyone things is bogus anyway I think what he's trying to prove with this movie is that the film industry is going to collapse next year.
  • ScoopOnline
    November 23, 2011
    ScoopOnline
    Despite of all the "Hysteria" going through the the worlds end is near I was a tiny bit sceptic and I was right regarding the movie.

    The trouble with this Movie from my point of view is that they show the same stuff like in the Documentries. How, what, where, who
    . "The Nostrad... read moreamus Effect"

    When I watch disaster Movies such as this. There is always a specific line from the Movie Deep Impact which I will never forget, when President Beck (Morgan Freeman) talks to Public.
    Life will go on, we will prevail.
  • fb100002384654145
    October 28, 2011
    fb100002384654145
    A two and a half hour dread of a film. The visuals are nice to watch at times but most of the time they look like something out of a visual effects demo. The films plot is only their to get us from one visual effects scene to the next. The plot is poorly written to the point t... read morehat the supposed antagonist, played by Oliver Platt, becomes the most sensible person in the entire film. If a film is supposed to be just a disaster movie, then please be honest about it. Don't give me some phoned in message about the goodness of humanity. Half way through, I was wishing for the film to just end, that is how bored I was. I hope Roland Emmerich thanks John Cusack and Oliver Platt because they were they only things that saved this movie from being a complete disaster.
  • fb729949618
    September 30, 2011
    fb729949618
    I just reviewed "The Day After Tomorrow", and I feel as if the review should be just about the same for 2012. It's very unrealistic and a couple of times I found myself saying "reallyyyy"? Overall, it could have been better.
  • garyX
    September 27, 2011
    garyX
    Scientists discover that the planet's crust is destabilising creating a race against time to save as much of humanity as possible. 2012 has all the ingredients of an Emmerich film; the estranged couple with plucky kids in tow, the noble self-sacrificing president, the conspiracy ... read moretheorist kook and of course the gleeful trashing of the world's greatest monuments (this time the White House gets squished by an aircraft carrier and the Vatican falls over on the Pope!) It follows the usual formula of spectacular set pieces punctuated with schmaltz and every race against time comes down the the final second and every escape is by a hair's breadth. It actually works quite well for the centre section when they're outrunning earthquakes and volcanos with some truly jaw dropping chases involving cars and aircraft respectively and the scale and effects essentially make his own The Day After Tomorrow virtually redundant. John Cusack is his usual likeable self and Woody Harrelson is unusually bearable as the resident nutter and as a whole it does exactly what it sets out to do. But because the film is at least half an hour too long, by the time it had turned into the Poseidon adventure I got more than a little tired of yet another edge of the seat race against time and had stopped caring, especially since the whole thing was so pointless. At least TDAT had an eco friendly message, here we just have some cobblers about "mutating" neutrinos. Quite how inanimate objects (particularly particles) are meant to mutate I'm not exactly sure, never mind heat up the Earth's core...at least until it's convenient in the plot for them to stop. If you can ignore the gaping flaws in logic and just enjoy a mindless SFX fest then there are worse disaster movies out there but at the same time it's as utterly predictable as I predicted it would be.

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Critic Reviews

Lisa Schwarzbaum
September 7, 2011
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

Cusack, with his one-of-the-guys face and his nice way with child actors, does creditable work as an Average American Dad trying to put things right. Full Review

Laremy Legel
May 6, 2011
Laremy Legel, Film.com

2012 is the rare case of a bad film that I'm nevertheless obliged to recommend you see. Full Review

Sara Vilkomerson
December 7, 2009
Sara Vilkomerson, New York Observer

2012 is reminiscent of yesteryear '80s shlock-tastic blockbusters -- total popcorn entertainment with ridiculous dialogue and impossible situations and special effects that will boggle the brain for a... Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf
November 18, 2009
Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York

The worst sins of dialogue are visited upon the wonderfully soulful Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has to remind creepy government types that those massive high-tech arks are for all of us, not just the rich a... Full Review

A.O. Scott
November 16, 2009
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

Even though this movie's running time of two and a half hours is about one hour too long, there's still some pretty cool disaster stuff on the way. Full Review

Anthony Lane
November 16, 2009
Anthony Lane, New Yorker

2012 is so long, and its special effects are at once so outrageous and so thunderously predictable, that by the time I lurched from the theatre I felt that three years had actually passed and that the... Full Review

Kenneth Turan
November 13, 2009
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

[Nothing] will give you more respect for how difficult it is to be an actor than watching top talent like John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet and Oliver Platt struggling to treat the film's ung... Full Review

Rick Groen
November 13, 2009
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

As always in Emmerich's rollicking Armageddons, the cannon speaks with an expensive bang, while the fodder gets afforded nary a whimper. Full Review

Tom Long
November 13, 2009
Tom Long, Detroit News

This is fear-mongering, sentimental, horror show shtick, but it's also fairly competent, making 2012 a work of awful efficiency Full Review

Christopher Orr
November 13, 2009
Christopher Orr, The New Republic

[J]ust as the cyclones and tsunamis of The Day After Tomorrow ultimately succumbed to a bad case of narrative frostbite, 2012's ludicrous thrills begin burning themselves out by the movie's midpoint. Full Review

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    • Harry Helmsley: I barely see my boy, but at least we talk.
    • Tony Delgado: About what?
    • Harry Helmsley: Life, and how short it is.
    • President Wilson: I'm coming home, Dorothy.
    • Jackson Curtis: Kate, California is going down! Pack up the kids, now!
    • Kate Curtis: They just got back. God you sound like a crazy person, the Governor says we're fine now.
    • Jackson Curtis: That guy is an actor, he's reading a script! When the tell you not to panic, that's when you run!
    • President Wilson: Today, none of us are strangers. Today, we are one family, stepping into the darkness together. We are a nation of many religion, but I believe these words reflect the spirit of all our faiths. The Lord is my Shepard...
    • Kate Curtis: Well, now that you got your map where are we going?
    • Jackson Curtis: [opens up the map up to find it only has China on it] We're gonna need a bigger plane.
    • Yuri Karpov: What is that?
    • Sasha: The state of Hawaii.
    • Yuri Karpov: Not good. That is not good.
    • Jackson Curtis: How much fuel do we have?
    • Sasha: Not much, We'll have make an emergency landing somewhere in South China Sea.
    • Gordon: Great. At least we don't need the landing gear.
    • Jackson Curtis: What happened to it?
    • Gordon: Well, we've lost it all, in Vegas.
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