Action 2012 (2009)

Re: Film: 2012

However even though a large part of the bible can be considered invention no one can discard that it also has some historical value (distorted no doubt).
Yes, it has value in illuminating what people believed, or were trying to achieve, when it was written. However, modern archaeological research has revealed that even the "historical" biblical story of the early history of Israel has been grossly distorted, probably for political reasons.

I don't say we should take the mayan profecies by face value alone but we should consider that after filtering the religious nonsense some true essence of fact can be found.
I think this would be very difficult, since there was no dividing line between religious and "scientific" beliefs such as we have today: the view of the world held by early cultures like the Maya was all bound up in their religious mythologies. I am not aware of any such ancient mythologies (and there are many different, conflicting ones) which contain any factual truths about the creation and fate of the universe. They're no more accurate than Pratchett's 'Discworld', being carried on the back of a giant turtle.

There are ways of producing smoke without a fire...
 
Re: Film: 2012

I think this would be very difficult, since there was no dividing line between religious and "scientific" beliefs such as we have today: the view of the world held by early cultures like the Maya was all bound up in their religious mythologies. I am not aware of any such ancient mythologies (and there are many different, conflicting ones) which contain any factual truths about the creation and fate of the universe. They're no more accurate than Pratchett's 'Discworld', being carried on the back of a giant turtle.

There are ways of producing smoke without a fire...

I agree that there was no dividing line between religious and scientific belief in ancient times because as they didn't have any way to analyze the natural phenomena they gave a religious explanation. That doesn't mean that they didn't happen. I am not saying that the world is going to end in 2012 but it could be possible that at one point in the Earth's history something similar happened and the Mayans recorded the positioning of the planets in our solar system and predicted that it would happen again....What I'm trying to say here is that we shouldn't discard these religious mythologies just because they are too ridiculous or too outrageous but we shouldn't believe in them to the letter either.

Before anyone says that I'm a religious fanatic or a fatalist, I should inform that I am an atheist of a sort. I believe that if there is a god then it should be the planet where we live because it is this planet that gave us life and that is keeping us alive.
 
Re: Film: 2012

So I finally got around to seeing 2012. Not much to say since you guys/gals already got into some of the finer points of it so I'll just sum it up as "Too long, too preachy, too predictable." Something that did irk me was as Tony mentioned in his first post... you end up caring more about some of the secondary characters, like the Indian scientist & his family, than you do for the the main characters.
 
Re: Film: 2012

i knew what to expect when i brought this and i thought the film exellent, granted i only was watching for the FX, but, it knew its place and didn't take its self to serisely. i'd happly watch this again anytime. shame i can't say the same thing about avitar
 
Re: Film: 2012

i knew what to expect when i brought this and i thought the film exellent, granted i only was watching for the FX, but, it knew its place and didn't take its self to serisely. i'd happly watch this again anytime. shame i can't say the same thing about avitar
Oh, don't get me wrong, if it was on TV and I had nothing else to do I'd watch it again, it just wouldn't be a film that I would make an effort to watch.
 
Re: Film: 2012

Oh, don't get me wrong, if it was on TV and I had nothing else to do I'd watch it again, it just wouldn't be a film that I would make an effort to watch.
So it turns out it was on TV this weekend, along with a double-billing of The Day After Tomorrow, and, sure enough, I watched both again as a way to kill a rainy Sunday afternoon. Unlike some movies, neither of them aged better with time.

With 2012 in particular I was struck back to the lack of caring for the main characters. Danny Glover as the US President is woefully under utilized. The story between Thandie Newton (the President's daughter) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dr. Helmsley, the guy on the US staff who apparently is one of only two people in the world who knows what is going on) could have itself been the basis for the movie but, no, as Tony mentioned in his 1st post, the story centered on a generic suburban family that hit most of the movie writing cliches. Even Stephen McHattie as the Captain of the Ark (no, that is not Lance Henriksen in that role) would have been interesting to see more of, instead his character is treated as little more than a purser on a cruise ship keeping quiet until given orders.

If there is ever a sequel to the movie (2013 anyone?) I would be curious to see happens after the Arks arrive at their new home on the tip of Africa. Each Ark was representative of different nations; are there still a US grouping of people, a UK grouping, an Italian grouping, etc. in the new home? Is the intent that those groupings will eventually make their way back to claim their old geopolitical boundaries? That might suck for the US since Wisconsin is now the South Pole, but, still, the continent is still there. Will a new form of money be used? With so many Ark passengers being ultra-rich who paid for their ride, will there be a huge disproportional amount of upper-class citizens to lower-class citizens, the workers & refugees? Will society try to be recreated the way it was before or will there be forced social situations (eg: arranged marriages, polygamist marriages, etc.) to try & repopulate the world? It was stated that, after the change of sea levels, it is likely the Cape (where the Arks are headed) never even flooded. If that is the case, then are there any African survivors already there? What will become of them in this new world order? How will it be decided who will do what job? Not everybody can be in charge.
 
Oh, come on Kevin, you're asking serious, thoughtful questions. You don't really expect a mindless Hollywood blockbuster to tackle issues like that, do you?
Sorry, can't help it. :eek: When I see a movie like 2012 and those endings that just fade off while a pop/rock song plays, I can't help but talk back to the TV a bit going "What, that's it?! The real story is just beginning!".
 

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