Search DVDBeaver

 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

H D - S E N S E I

A view on Blu-ray by Gary W. Tooze

 

2012 (2-disc + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

 

(Roland Emmerich, 2009)

 

 

Single Disc Blu-ray - duplicate transfer as below

 

Review by Gary Tooze

 

Production:

Theatrical: Columbia Pictures

Video: Sony Pictures

 

Disc:

Region: FREE! (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 2:37:49.460

Disc Size: 41,651,655,056 bytes

Feature Size: 37,814,421,504 bytes

Video Bitrate: 21.98 Mbps

Chapters: 16

Case: Standard Blu-ray case

Release date: March 2nd, 2010

 

Video:

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 4167 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4167 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio French 2120 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2120 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
* DTS Express English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / 16-bit

 

Subtitles:

English (SDH), English, French, none

 

Extras:

• Commentary with Writer/Director Roland Emmerich and Co-Writer Harald Kloser
 • movieIQ (logo) and BD-Live connect you to real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie!
 • Picture-In-Picture: Roland's Vision-Includes Pre-Visualization, storyboards and behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with filmmakers, cast and crew
 • Alternate Ending (3:39)

• 6 Previews

BD-LIVE enabled

 

Disc 2

• Interactive Mayan Calendar -Enter a date to reveal your horoscope and personality profile! • Delve even further into the secrets by watching Mysteries of the Mayan Calendar (3:45).
 • Five Deleted Scenes (4:41)
 • Designing The End Of The World (25:53)
 • Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic (9:31)
 • Science Behind The Destruction (13:20)
 • The End Of The World: The Actor's Perspective (7:34)

• "Time For Miracles" Music Video by Adam Lambert (4:15)

• Making the Music Video "Time For Miracles" with Adam Lambert (2:40)

• Countdown to the Future (22:03)

• 4 more Previews

 

Digital Disc Copy

 

Bitrate:

 

 

Description: From Roland Emmerich, director of THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and INDEPENDENCE DAY, comes the ultimate action-adventure film, exploding with groundbreaking special effects. As the world faces a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions, cities collapse and continents crumble. 2012 brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover.

 

 

The Film:

The tectonic plates shift so violently scientists can almost see them on Google Earth. This havoc requires stupendous special effects. Emmerich's budget was $250 million, and "2012" may contain more f/x in total running time than any other film. They're impressive. Not always convincing, because how can the flooding of the Himalayas be made convincing? And Emmerich gives us time to regard the effects and appreciate them, even savor them, unlike the ADD generation and its quick-cutting Bay-cams.

Emmmerich also constructs dramatic real-scale illusions, as when an earthquake fissure splits a grocery store in half. Cusack is the hero in an elaborate sequence involving his desperate attempts to unblock a jammed hydraulic lift that threatens to sink the ark. He does a lot of heroic stuff in this film, especially for a novelist, like leaping a van over a yawning chasm and riding a small plane through roiling clouds of earthquake dust.

 

The bottom line is: The movie gives you your money's worth. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it one of the year's best? No. Does Emmerich hammer it together with his elbows from parts obtained from the Used Disaster Movie Store? Yes. But is it about as good as a movie in this genre can be? Yes. No doubt it will inflame fears about our demise on Dec. 21, 2012. I'm worried, too. I expect that to be even worse than Y2K.

Excerpt from Roger Ebert at the Chicago Sun Times located HERE

 


 Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
 

Aside from the impressive CG effects in, the mega-disaster, popcorn flic, 2012 - the image, proper, looks reasonably impressive on Blu-ray from Sony. The image quality has a smooth cohesive feel with tightly packed grain. This is probably pretty close to theatrical. So much effort has gone into the film's visual presentation that this has translated very adeptly to 1080P. This is dual-layered with a modest bitrate for the 2.5 hour film. There is an occasional darker edge to the movie and supported colors seem true - accurate skin tones - with rich black levels throughout. Daylight scenes are impressive and beyond the effects - detail has some pristine moments. This Blu-ray looks damn good and gives fans of the disaster genre the type of appearance that they can appreciate. It can be a bit glossy but it's not something that your average viewer will complain about.

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio :

The DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 4167 kbps is an Predictably very strong track with solid separations and range. Dynamic sound emanates from all over your home theater. Sequences could easily be used to 'demo' to friends. Supporting Harald Kloser and Thomas Wander's resoundingly grand original score are pieces like Boccherini's String Quintet In E Major, Op. 11 No. 5 and Adam Lambert's Time for Miracles. All sounding quite crisp. My Momitsu has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

 

Extras :

Supplements in the 2-disc (+ digital copy) version are extensive. We get a thorough commentary with Writer/Director Roland Emmerich and Co-Writer Harald Kloser. This offers optional English subtitles and you can appreciate the monumental effort that went into the production listening to them discuss the minutia of production details and getting the story's vision to the big screen. You may watch the film with movieIQ and BD-Live connect (untested at this time) where you get real-time information on the cast, music, trivia plus the option of a picture-in-picture feature ala 'Roland's Vision' which includes Pre-Visualization, storyboards and behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with filmmakers, cast and crew. Disc one also has a short alternate ending, plus six previews.

Disc 2 is also a Blu-ray (single layered though) and has an Interactive Mayan Calendar gimmick where you can enter a date to reveal your horoscope and personality profile. Mysteries of the Mayan Calendar allows you to delve even further into the 2012 prophecy secrets. There are five deleted scenes running about 5-minutes. There are some interesting featurette documentaries such as Designing The End Of The World for almost 1/2 an hour dealing more with the specifics of creating the illusion. Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic is about 10-minutes glad-handing the director/writer's resume. I preferred the Science Behind The Destruction at 13.5-minutes and the 22-minute piece Countdown to the Future. Soundbytes from the cast support The End Of The World: The Actor's Perspective for 7.5-minutes and there is 2 short pieces on the Adam Lambert "Time For Miracles" music video, plus 4 more previews. lastly we get a Digital Disc Copy for use with your portable devices.

 

Disc 2

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Strangely, I enjoyed this a bit more the second time I watched it. It's pretty hard not to gape in awe at the screen at times - especially on Blu-ray. One of the positives is that with this type of hyped disaster epic - you essentially know exactly what you are in for - and fans of that genre should be more than satisfied with this exceptional presentation. This is one of those 'demo' discs that will be sure to distract your guests from any conversation. The story itself is competently put together - more the credit to Emmerich. There is a bit of humor and strong performances. I gotta say - I recommend this - even with its obviousness and superficialities. It's satisfying, if occasionally hollow, entertainment - which, coincidentally, is all it was striving for. This is 2.5 hours of mayhem so make sure you have enough popcorn to go around. 

Gary Tooze

February 17th, 2010

 

 

 

Single Disc Blu-ray - duplicate transfer as above


 

About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3500 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.

Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. So be it, but film will always be my first love and I list my favorites on the old YMdb site now accessible HERE.  

Gary's Home Theatre:

60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD

Oppo Digital BDP-83 Universal Region FREE Blu-ray/SACD Player
Momitsu - BDP-899 Region FREE Blu-ray player
Marantz SA8001 Super Audio CD Player
Marantz SR7002 THX Select2 Surround Receiver
Tannoy DC6-T (fronts) + Energy (centre, rear, subwoofer) speakers (5.1)

APC AV 1.5 kVA H Type Power Conditioner 120V

Gary W. Tooze

 

HD-DVD STORE         HIGH DEFINITION DVD STORE

 

ALL OUR NEW FORMAT DVD REVIEWS

 

 



 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

Mail cheques, money orders, cash to:    or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!