Technical Specs

• Blu-ray
• Three-Disc Special Edition
• BD50 Dual-Layer / BD25 Single-Layer Discs
• Digital copy
• Region Free

Video Resolution/Codec

• 1080p/AVC MPEG-4

Aspect Ratio(s)

• 2.40.:1

Audio Formats

• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround
• French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround

Subtitles/Captions

• English
• English SDH
• French

Supplements

• Audio Commentary
• Featurette
• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• Music Video
• Trailers

Exclusive HD Content

• PiP Commentary
• movieIQ
• BD-Live
• Interactive Feature
• Featurettes
• Making-of Music Video
• Trailers
• Digital Copy

Best Sellers and Deals

2012: Special Edition (Blu-ray)

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment / 2009 / 158 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: March 02, 2010

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• List Price: $30.99
• Amazon Price: $19.99 (35%)
• 3rd Party Price: $16.28
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Reviewed by M. Enois Duarte
Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Movie Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

Easily deserving of the moniker "The King of the Disaster Movies," Roland Emmerich delivers yet another CGI-laden extravaganza with '2012' meant purely for popcorn entertainment. The movie never strays from the same generic and formulaic plotlines seen in nearly all of the director's films -- a dysfunctional family in turmoil that must overcome personal issues in order to survive a common adversity. With highly-implausible and preposterous (but nevertheless thrilling) scenes of pandemonium and hell on Earth, this summer blockbuster is the disaster movie to end all disaster movies. This furiously chaotic sci-fi epic is a visually surprising flick that is as entertainingly exciting as it is a satisfying two and a half-hour diversion.

Also typical of most of his movies, '2012' arrives with a large ensemble of characters that never stay in front of the camera for longer than is absolutely necessary. John Cusack stars not as the hero but as a single-father novelist with heroism written all over him. This is because he never really thinks of himself as a hero, but just a man desperately searching for ways to save his family. Unlike Oliver Platt's character, who is some sort of government official, Cusack's Jackson Curtis is called upon numerous times to pull off some really brave and heroic feats. His ex-wife is Amanda Peet, with whom we see him act as amicable as any limo-driving former husband can act when she's moved on with a wealthy, successful plastic surgeon (Thomas MacCarthy). While camping with his kids (Morgan Lily and Liam James), he meets a crazed radio host (Woody Harrelson) and learns the world will come to an end soon, which in movie language is about two minutes.

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The man actually responsible for making the discovery three-years earlier is Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), another character who, when pushed hard enough, must also step up to fulfill his heroic duty. He spends most of his time running around in a vulnerable panic as his scientific research proves to be off by a few months, then days, then hours, until literally by half an hour. Isn't it funny how in movies mathematical predictions can be done within less than a minute to conveniently heighten tension regarding imminent doom? Danny Glover plays a very dutiful and admirable President, who also makes some tough decisions, while his First Daughter (Thandie Newton) doesn't really seem to do much at all. A few other minor characters pop up, but our attention is mostly focused on the survival of these folks.

Comprised almost entirely of special computer effects, '2012' is all fluff and pageantry with hardly anything going on below the surface. To be sure, Roland Emmerich, along with co-writer Harold Kloser (better known for his musical score than his writing talent), took some time to learn about the most popular theories surrounding the mystery of the Mayan calendar and the year on which it ends. But it's mostly all fear-induced cacophony about an unknown future mixed with a dash of some recent scientific speculation. This may explain the purpose of Woody Harrelson's character -- hysterical, deranged eccentrics always get the strangest passionate followers. Of course, the large amounts of hearsay spouted throughout the picture (again, from Harrelson's Charlie) is all in the name of fun and excitement as it makes for grand, exuberant spectacles of pandemonium.

It's no secret that Emmerich is a long-time advocate for global warming awareness. And in '2012', as in 'The Day After Tomorrow,' the topic serves him well for constructing what could be the most over the top portrayal of cataclysmic mayhem. With 'The Towering Inferno' and 'The Poseidon Adventure' listed as some of his all-time favorite movies, it shouldn't come as any surprise that many of his action adventures feature some sort of catastrophic event as the focal point. And they almost seem to suggest a subconscious desire to outdo them. But what's really appealing about Emmerich's films is how he captures pop-culture trends and interests while still in the moment and turn them into large-scale displays. Though they'll never be seen as high art (far from it), it does show he has an ear and an eye for what the general public wants in a summer blockbuster.

Roland Emmerich has also been quoted as saying that he'd like to think that his movies impart some kind of message to his audience. Does he succeed in doing this with '2012'? Maybe. Is it anything this will change the world? Hardly. But with some near-flawless CGI effects to depict the end of times, we are at least entertained by the apocalypse from the comfort of our home theaters. The formulaic narrative, silly dialogue, and scientific inaccuracies really should be ignored as they're only meant to push the story forward and accomplish one end result -- to entertain and amuse with the implausible. Even the cast is there only to achieve that goal, and they get the job done. '2012' is all about the spectacular and fantastic visuals that capture the imagination, and that's part of the fun in watching movies after all. To dig any deeper would prove more foolish than the movie itself.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment gives fans two options to choose from: a single disc version and a Special Edition, which was the one provided for review. The studio brings Roland Emmerich's '2012' to Blu-ray on a Region Free BD50 disc and housed in a three-disc keepcase with a shiny cardboard slipcover. The first disc contains the movie along with a few special features, and the second is a BD25 Blu-ray accommodating the remainder of the supplements. The third disc is a Digital Copy for portable devices and an exclusive to hi-def owners. After two skippable trailers, viewers are greeted with the standard menu option while motion clips play in the background.

The Video: Sizing Up the Picture

'2012' definitely makes a big splash on Blu-ray, delivering an impressive visual experience that will have fans cheering as planet Earth meets its destructive demise. The 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer (2.40:1) displays an ultra-clean and glossy presentation that is faithful to its theatrical showing (or at least from what I can remember). It's a great-looking picture to be sure, but it also arrives with some small annoyances which keep it on this side of reference.

Every minute detail is distinct and resolute in any number of scenes with great outlining in a variety of objects. Nowhere else is the image's sharpness more evident than during the many scenes of CGI disaster as every person scuffling and grappling for safety and protection is plainly perceptible amidst all the well-defined rumble and mayhem. Adding to the striking picture quality are the rich and dynamic black levels, furnishing the flick with pleasing dimensionality. Shadow delineation is equally excellent as background info is observable in the darkest portions of the frame. Contrast is spot-on, with crisp gradations in the grayscale and wonderful visibility and clarity of random items in the distance. Colors are vividly saturated and accurately rendered at the same time that facial complexions appear warm, natural, and revealing.

While the encode shows no glaring signs of edge enhancement or noise reduction, there are a few quips worth noting which subtract from a five-star presentation. Considering how sharp the image looks, the scenes that appear slightly softer by comparison are made more apparent and textural details are noticeably smoother. There are also a few negligible instances of banding which don't hinder the picture greatly, but they are there nonetheless. In either case, these issues are very minor and likely ignored while watching the movie.

The biggest thing of concern is a result of the use of HD cameras, which give the film an unattractive, artificial, and digital appearance several times throughout. It may not be a consistent issue, but it's noticeable enough to be a critical distraction. Imagine the movie looking very cinematic and warmly appealing one minute, then suddenly switching to something straight out of 'Cloverfield' or 'Public Enemies' the next. Had the entire presentation looked all digital to the very end, this really wouldn't be a big deal, but the constant switching back and forth for folks with big projection screens, this is rather irksome and puzzling. Ultimately, this is just to caution our readers to expect the visual distraction as part of an otherwise excellent transfer.

On another side note, there are a variety of characters speaking in foreign languages throughout '2012'. Unfortunately, the subtitles accompanying the narrative are not contained within the image proper. As result, this makes the movie unsafe for viewing on Constant Image Height projection screens.

The Audio: Rating the Sound

Being a modern-day disaster flick, you would expect this DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack to be nothing short of superlative aural ecstasy. In many cases, I would agree with this sentiment and not hesitate in labeling this high resolution option as undoubtedly reference quality. But one small, persistent nitpick, that after a while becomes a bothersome deficiency in the design, prevents me from praising it as a godsend of five-star audio presentations.

On the positive side of things, the lossless mix is quite phenomenal and most assuredly one of the best things we've heard on Blu-ray in a while. In fact, I imagine the track will quickly turn into the demo disc of choice in many home theaters as it sounds exactly how you'd expect a summer blockbuster to sound. Listeners are marvelously encompassed with such heightened energy that one can't help but feel fully immersed by all the destructive action. Surround use is continuously active, creating a terrific 360-degree soundfield from beginning to end. Discrete effects are sharply well-rendered and pan between each speaker with great precision and without the slightest amount of effort while imaging is ceaselessly engaging and expansive. Dialogue is perfectly balanced amidst all the action and never outdone by all the commotion and pandemonium. Even in its quietest moments, atmospherics are clear and non-directional whilst the musical score fills any voids with a room-penetrating mid-range and detailed fidelity.

The one slight limitation, which may or may not be observable by certain viewers, is an unconvincing low end, especially for such a loud popcorn flick. This is not to suggest that the bass is wanting or weak. As a matter of fact, it is quite accurate and at times particularly punchy and bombastic for those selected scenes of explosive eruptions. But there's something about the lower frequencies that never truly feels persuasive or all-encompassing. Many on-screen events, particularly the earthquakes sequences, appear to lack intensity and a realistic force which ideally should extend far into the room, yet they don't. Again, many may not think this a major impediment, but for those who love their bass, it's a bit of a letdown. If we simply ignore this one small nitpick, this lossless mix is pure reference quality, and one that will surely be used to demo the sound system.

The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff

For this Blu-ray edition of '2012', Sony ports over the same special features found on the DVD equivalent but spreads them out on two BD discs. Fans will be content with the selection, but the exclusives are where you'll find all the excitement.

Disc One

• Audio Commentary - Joining writer/director Roland Emmerich is co-writer and composer Harald Kloser for this interesting and revealing commentary track. While the conversation is not all that stimulating, the discussion provides listeners with plenty of scene-specific info and some insights on the production, namely script and directorial decisions while on location. Fans can also learn a few tidbits about the science behind the story and some of the choices made about character development while placing more attention on the spectacle. The track is neither wholly engaging nor all that boring, but unless you're fan, I can't imagine many clicking to listen soon after the movie is over.
  
• Alternate Ending (HD, 4 min) - This alternate take for the film's conclusion shows the survivors of a cruise ship. Check it out if you like, but I'm really glad the filmmakers didn't go with this ending.
  
• Trailers (HD) - This small collection of theatrical previews are for the upcoming Blu-ray releases of 'Armored,' 'The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,' 'Did You Hear About the Morgans?' 'Planet 51,' and the already available 'Angels & Demons.'
  

Disc Two

• Deleted Scenes (HD, 5 min) - Viewers are given five unmemorable scenes that never made it to the final print. And to be quite frank, they were wisely removed.
  
• Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic (HD, 10 min) - Oh, wow. I wonder how the director is able to walk around with such a heavy load on his shoulders. His head must be pretty massive after seeing this. It's nothing but endless applause and adoration from cast and crew about what a talented visionary Emmerich is. Sure, he shows a talent for destroying our planet, but he also made '10,000 B.C., people!
  
• Music Video (HD, 4 min) - Adam Lambert performs his song "Time for Miracles".
  

HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?

Bloating the collection even further, Sony adds to the package with this entertaining selection of bonus material.

Disc One

• Roland's Vision: Picture-in-Picture Commentary - I would probably rank this about equal with the other commentary as both fail to completely engage attention. The one oddity about this track though is the very, very short quips which happen from time to time. It's not so much an annoyance as it is a desire to see or hear more. Nonetheless, this is given a slight edge over the voice-over due to it being visual and featuring interviews with cast & crew with footage of the production. Again, it's not all that great but at least somewhat interesting to watch some concept art, designers work on the visual effects, and a few random comments on the characters and the themes surrounding the plot.
  
• movieIQ - Sony's Internet-based utility provides instant up-to-date access to cast and crew biographies, production details, trivia, and more. A video tutorial on how the feature works is provided on the menu.
  
• BD-Live - The disc is also enabled with Sony's standard BD-Live portal including trailers and the option to register the disc.
  

Disc Two

• Interactive Mayan Calendar (HD) - This featurette is actually broken into four options, with the first being a four minute piece on the calendar itself that's somewhat informative ("Mysteries of the Mayan Calendar" which is also available as a separate option). The others are a legend for reading the hieroglyphs, a "Mayan Personality Profile" for those brave enough to learn more about their individual traits, and a "Mayan Horoscope" which foresees the future of each user based on their birth date.
  
• Designing the End of the World (HD, 26 min) - The meatiest of all the supplements is a closer look at creating the spectacular CGI effects. Featuring interviews with visual designers and showing plenty of behind-the-scenes clips, viewers learn a great deal about the extensive and time-consuming work that goes into creating such large-scale feats of fancy. For those interested in knowing how movie magic is made, the half-hour doc is very insightful and kind of cool to watch.
  
• Science Behind the Destruction (HD, 13 min) - As the title implies, viewers can learn more about some of the real-life science underscoring the plot. The not-so-thorough examination tries to make a connection between scientific hypothesis and Mayan calendar speculation several times, but it makes for a quick and entertaining watch nevertheless.
  
• The End of the World: The Actor's Perspective (HD, 8 min) - Not much need for an explanation as it's obvious cast members talk about their individual input to the project and working on a such physically-active movie.
  
• Making of the Music Video (HD, 3 min) - Self-explanatory making-of piece on the music video "Time for Miracles" by Adam Lambert.
  
• Countdown to the Future (HD, 22 min) - The second longest segment is similar in idea to the other piece above. Doomsayers are allowed ample time with real science to speculate and presuppose about the year 2012 and the Mayan Long-Count calendar. The featurette's most interesting topic is a discussion on the Mayan culture and scientists theorizing on the possible climate changes in the oncoming years.
  
• Trailers (HD) - This selection includes 'Michael Jackson's This Is It,' 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind,' 'By the People: The Election of Barack Obama', and 'Breaking Bad.'
  

Disc Three

• Digital Copy - Rounding out the package is a standard definition copy of the movie for owners of portable devices. (PSP owners can also download a digital copy of the movie via the PS3 and the second BD disc.)
  

Easter Eggs

No easter eggs reported for '2012: Special Edition' yet. Found an egg? Please use our tips form to let us know, and we'll credit you with the find.

Final Thoughts

Roland Emmerich delivers another large-scale, end-of-times apocalypse feature that wows with the spectacular visuals and excites the imagination with an entertaining premise. '2012' is purely a popcorn blockbuster that surprisingly works better than Emmerich's previous efforts despite the plot's implausibility. The Blu-ray arrives with excellent video, a demo-worthy audio presentation, and is loaded with special features. Fans, and home theaters enthusiasts, should be very happy with this purchase, which comes recommended mainly for the A/V reference qualities of the disc.

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