The Science Behind a Notoriously Unbelievable Sci-Fi Disaster Film: A Closer Look

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For some, disaster films are guilty pleasures. For others, they are simply turnips. In any case, opinions are very often divided regarding films of the genre, but if there is one that almost everyone agrees on, it is 2012. Directed by Roland Emmerichwho is the father of many cult films like The day after (2004), Independence Day (1996) and its sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), but also Stargate, the stargate (1994), 2012 is based on the famous predictions of the end of the worldwhich should have happened on December 21, 2012 according to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar.

In the film of Roland Emmerichwhich is free on TF1+ recently, the core of the Earth has started to overheat, causing the displacement of the earth's crust, and therefore numerous natural disasters one after the other, such as earthquakeof the volcanic eruptionsand even tsunamis. The action takes place mainly in the United States, and focuses on a group of characters who try to escape the end of the world by joining arches built to allow the evacuation of humans, but whose spaces are limited. In itself, the concept is rather nice, but it is the “science” behind this scenario that leaves something to be desired, and who attracted the attention of a major organization due to his lack of credibility…

If even NASA says so…

Even if the special effects of 2012 are quite grandiose, this is the narrative plan of the feature film of Roland Emmerich which is far from being at the top, and above all far from being realistic. According to fire Donald Yeomansa NASA scientist responsible for the project NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous), 2012 would be an “extraordinary example of Hollywood’s dubious science.” According to Yeomansthe film exploited the general fear of a possible end of the world and caused a lot of misinformation, so much so that the NASA was forced to publish a dedicated site to answer questions surrounding this phenomenon.

For example, many elements of the film do not make scientific sense, such as the temperature of the Earth's core which should have had an impact on the world much earlier, and the disasters would not have appeared so suddenly, but rather gradually over the years. Moreover, the trigger linked to neutrinos is impossible, and even if it did, the entire Earth would overheat and not just its core. But if the lack of realism of 2012 don't bother you, and you want to be amazed by a disaster film so bad that it has become cult, don't forget that it is available for free on TF1+ !