2012, the film about an apocalyptic event ending the normalcy of earth, is a pleaseure of FX and an enticement to more earth science. It is however not religious revelation, nor exactly accurate. It is a fine Hollywood film with that industry's famous theatrical cinematic special effects (FX) & big screen & sens-around stereo sound.
The year chosen, 2012, is the end of the ancient Mayan Calendar; created by a real people, as we know, who calculated a star observation cycle, in which after five light years, various stars, planets, and at least two major galaxies return to conjunction with the Milky Way Galaxy and our solar system. The cycle they calculated, is about 640,000 years long (the roughly five light years referenced) and in calendar application ends and renews itself December 21, 2012.
Rather like some of the cinematic science adventures of planetary asteroid hits; or Harrison Ford & the Crystal skulls; the flim uses the proposition of planetary geo-physical turmoil predicted for the year 2012 (by reason of the inter-stellar events) to set a stage for an end of our present geological life on earth.
In the film, massive earthquakes occur and geophysical stresses,produced mainly by heat, rupturing much of earth's crust; producing breaches of magma with massive super-volcanism and re-awakend volcanism; and super-earthquakes. The continents experience a massive upheaval and begin to move in the "classic continental drift theory" . Tidal waves ensue (since the oceans are literally moved - at the same time) with massive damage; they create seismic enduced oceanic floods and anticipated human extinction. Humanity must find a way and survive.
That science is used this way, troubles some, but it is a standard novelization vehicle, again akin to films about a comet or asteroid striking the earth or other catastrophes such as the moon losing its orbit or the earth's core cooling etc.
By coincidnece, 2012 is the year of an anticipated cycle of reversal of the sun's magnetic poles; which can by reaction produce material effects on earth and may induce a short tem variance or heighten a migration of the earths magnetic poles. This has occured several times in earth's know history. Also, the continent Anarctica once supported tropical life, before the continents moved.
That this 2012 stellar observation & the sun's magnetic poles reversal would have geophysical effects such as a reversal of the planet earth's rotation; or massive planetary overheating is not foreseen by scientists.
That some geophysical traumatic event could occur with these consequences is well within modern science's ability to visualize and hypothesize. It is the subject of material research by earth sciences. The earth has changed many times in its 6? billion years.
The film plot uses the inter-stellar events of 2012, which trigger reactions in the sun which when joining the stars systems contribute a massive greater flow of "neuterinos" to the earth (and elsewhere) .. but these cook and overheat the earth's core as they pass through it (like a microwave" as the screenplay states).
The earth's expanding super-heated magma penetrates to breach the crust and adjustments thereafter are the geophysical upheaval.
Nothing in known modern science can or would affirm a date certain, nor that the event(s) depicted or anything foreseen like it would occur in 2012.
It is a good Hollywood disaster/castrophe movie. If the genre displeases you, assaults your scientific integrity, or religion, then don't go.
Otherwise, it is as these are, an interesting springboard for more reading of earth sciences.
By the way, events of the film's depiction would be almost unlivable for the human population; including the atmospheric aftermath. A continental drift would be akin to a planet behaving like a suddenly stopped amusement park ride.
So relax and enjoy it .. I did; It is as thrilling as the trailer.
2012 (maybe a subtitle "What if?").
By the way, as I wrote in Twitter ... "It doesn't end!"
