ia ). ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁first ▁announced ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁and ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁on ▁August ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁gross ing ▁over ▁$ 1 9 8 ▁million ▁world wide . ▁The ▁film ▁received ▁generally ▁negative ▁reviews ▁from ▁critics . ▁It ▁received ▁pra ise ▁for ▁its ▁action ▁sequences ▁and ▁acting , ▁but ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁humor , ▁emot ional ▁subt le ty , ▁and ▁character ▁development ▁drew ▁some ▁criticism . ▁ ▁Plot ▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁Earth ▁is ▁dev ast ated ▁by ▁chemical ▁war fare . ▁P reci ous ▁remaining ▁habit able ▁land ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁just ▁two ▁territ ories : ▁the ▁United ▁Federation ▁of ▁Britain ▁( U FB ), ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁British ▁Is les ▁and ▁north western ▁Europe ; ▁and ▁the ▁Col ony , ▁covering ▁Australia . ▁Factory ▁workers ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁Col ony ▁quickly ▁comm ute ▁to ▁the ▁U FB ▁each ▁day ▁via ▁“ The ▁Fall ,” ▁a ▁gravity ▁elev ator ▁through ▁the ▁Earth ' s ▁core ▁which ▁takes ▁ 1 7 ▁minutes ▁to ▁traverse . ▁A ▁Res istance ▁operating ▁in ▁the ▁U FB , ▁which ▁the ▁U FB ▁views ▁as ▁a ▁terror ist ▁movement , ▁see ks ▁to ▁improve ▁living ▁conditions ▁in ▁the ▁Col ony . ▁ ▁Col ony ▁citiz en ▁Douglas ▁Qu a id ▁has ▁been ▁having ▁dream s ▁of ▁being ▁a ▁secret ▁agent , ▁a ided ▁by ▁an ▁un named ▁woman . ▁T ired ▁of ▁his ▁factory ▁job