2012 The Movie

We are all going to die

It's coming!! The end of the world Hollywood style. How would the governments of our planet prepare six billion people for the end of the world? They wouldn't." That's the tagline for Hollywood's new Apocalypse movie, "2012." The movie, not yet released, appears to combine scientific theory with ancient prophecy:
2012 happens to be the year in which the Mayan calendar ends. Some believe that this is not a big deal. Others, most notably New Age theorists, believe that the Mayans were on to something, and that the date 12/21/12 will mark the end of mankind on this Earth.

Sony Pictures, which is producing the movie "2012," has skillfully (and I would say shamelessly) tapped into the hysteria, even creating a Web site for the fictional "Institute for Human Continuity," a nongovernmental organization that "proves" we will all die in 2012, and offers a "survival lottery": sign up for the movie's lotterv, and you're guaranteed a spot in a plush post-apocalyptic community.

Now, the relationship between Apocalypse and Hollywood is not new. "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "Armageddon" and every zombie movie ever made taps into our visceral fear as a species: that everything we take for granted can be easily swept away.

But I find "2012" an especially irritating premise because, in stating the fiction that an ancient Mayan numerological error is going to kill us all, it blinds us to the facts: namely, that global warming is going to kill us all.

After all, if we're so afraid of dying, we should really focus on the right culprit. That's why I'd like to share with you the words of James Lovelock, one of the scientists who helped discover the hole in the ozone layer: "Enjoy life while you can. Because if you're lucky it's going to be 20 years before it hits the fan."

You see, Lovelock believes that by 2040, climate change will kill almost all of us, leaving only somewhere between 500 million to a billion people alive. Although that's not as bad as the Institute for Human Continuity's prediction that 94 percent of all humans will be killed in 2012, it's still not a rosy picture.

The forecast becomes darker when Lovelock shares his opinion that there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop global warming at this point. We have to start planning for catastrophe.
Now that I've completely depressed you, I'd like to mention that not everyone agrees completely with James Lovelock. While it is now beyond the realm of debate that global warming is occurring, it's more difficult to see into the future and judge its effects.

But take a second to internalize what I'm saying: Global warming poses an existential threat to the human species. Swirl that statement around in your soul. It's disquieting. And hopefully you are rendered more uncomfortable, not less, when I point out that the highest casualty figures will come from developing countries, those that don't have the infrastructure or funds to organize a successful nationwide warning-and-evacuation system.

I don't agree with Lovelock; I don't think global warming is going to kill us all. But then again, I'm a Hospitality Industry major: I'm not an expert in scientific phenomena. But I do know a little bit about people: I know that, when we watch any Apocalypse movie, we root for the protagonists to stay alive.

We want humankind to make it; we want to survive. This is true no matter what philosophy we may hold dear - religious or agnostic, fatalist or optimist, we all believe in our hearts that humankind should exist, that we belong here on this Earth.

I don't have any recommendations for how to avert ancient Mayan prophecy, so I am not going to worry too much about 2012. But when it comes to global warming, there's still so much we can do. From recycling used goods and reducing energy consumption, to advocating for institutional change at the local or even federal level, to researching new environment-friendly technologies...

This is not a blog about how we should reduce the effects of global warming. It's a post about why we should reduce the effects of global warming. Because Apocalypse movies all start with the beginning of The End. They hardly ever show you what comes before, about the chances that people had to avert catastrophe and create a different future.

We are a generation of people with the chance to avert catastrophe. Let's create a different future, and leave Apocalypse for the movie screens.
Director Roland Emmerich really, really hates the planet Earth and wants to destroy it over and over again (”Independence Day”, “The Day After Tomorrow”). Why? Sources tell me because once upon a time, when Roland was very young, Planet Earth kicked his dog, threw his grandma out the window, and set his house on fire. Yeah, that’ll piss anyone off. Emmerich’s latest is “2012″, an end-of-the-world movie that he’s shopping the script around to potential buyers.

Let’s get one thing straight: no one really expected Roland Emmerich’s “2012″ to be an example of quality filmmaking, did they? I mean, come on, we’re talking about the guy behind “ID4″, “The Day After Tomorrow”, and “Godzilla” here. Dubious science, even by the low standards of movie technobabble, and outrageous stunts featuring people running away from massive fireballs are Roland Emmerich’s stock in trade.

Why, without them, we wouldn’t have crazily entertaining movies like “10,000 BC”! So someone has read the script for Emmerich’s “2012″, and it’s crap. Well duh. Isn’t all of Emmerich’s scripts kinda crappy? It’s what he does with it on the big screen that matters. I.e. explosions. Lots and lots of explosions.

Here is the basic gist of Latino Review’s review of Emmerich’s “2012″ script: The story blends the idea of the Mayan calendar, which predicts the world ending in 2012, with natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, typhoons and glaciers plaguing the planet and a large cast of characters dealing with the mayhem.

Aside from the idea of the Arks there is really no aspect of this film that we haven’t already seen in dozens of other action, sci-fi, and disaster blockbusters. It is so steeped in predictability, ridiculousness, and cliché that it borders on self-parody. In the tradition of previous Emmerich blockbusters such as The Day After Tomorrow, the obligatory action and destruction scenes are particularly bad offenders in this regard, featuring characters impossibly running away from massive explosions, dust clouds, and bizarrely personified cracks in the earth.
The script barely even hints at the details or origins of any of the real theories about 2012, suggesting that the association is mainly here just to cash in on a trend. Instead, Emmerich and co-writers Harold Kloser and Matt Charman shoehorn in several brief but glaringly awkward attempts at political commentary and even what could be construed by some as a few baffling jabs at religion. And of course everything leads to an unbearably neat and happy ending, despite the fact that the film is about the vast majority of the world’s population being wiped out.

Heh, I have to admit, that last part was kind of funny. A happy ending for a disaster movie where most of the world’s population is killed. Only Roland Emmerich could come up with that one, kids. And he’s got $200 million to work with. Sigh…

Our first look at Master of Disaster Roland Emmerich’s new disaster film, “2012″, has arrived online. It’s a short teaser, just barely over a minute long, featuring what appears to be a monk racing up a long slope of mountains to a temple, and then looking out at — holy cow, an ocean towering over said mountains! (I’m guessing oceans aren’t supposed to get this high?)

The ocean wipes away the temple, while sub-titlse ask us what our governments would do in the face of an impending, world-ending natural disaster. It then answers itself: Nothing. Because, you know, governments suck and such. Anyways, enjoy the teaser.

I would like to refer you the following:
The Bible warns us not to trust in astrology.

Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them (Jeremiah 10:1-2).
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Matthew 24:36).

In another online Bible study, I summarized God's warning in the Bible about astrology, the occult, mediums, divination and sorcery.

The main problem with these practices is that they cause us to look to other sources of "power," not to God himself. God created everyone alive. He loves us and wants a close personal relationship with us. When we get caught up with "spiritual" ideas, we often think we are seeing the bigger picture when in fact we miss God himself.

God is not simply a "force," an idea or a nebulous spirit. He is real, and his passionate love for you is real.

God communicated his message of love through Jesus. Jesus' message of love is very different from that of the many "New Age" religions and schools of thought.

Take note though that the Bible does predict cataclysmic future events.

God's Word, the Bible, tells us that someday Jesus will return to earth. Momentous things will happen around that time. We are encouraged to live lives worthy of God and to be ready for that day.

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord (Acts 2:20).

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare (2 Peter 3:10).

But the Bible also tells us that no one knows when that day will take place. That includes 12/12/12. Numerous people have claimed to know and have been proven wrong. It shouldn't be a surprise that they were wrong, because the Bible says no one knows.

December 21, 2012 is no more likely than any other day to be the day when Jesus returns or when anything else of significance happens.


Don't get sidetracked by 12. 21. 2012

Focus on what is really important, and don't worry. Dec. 21, 2012 will be a day like any other day.