RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / 2012
2012

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

2012 (2009)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
37 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:198

Fresh:73

Rotten:125

Average Rating:5/10

Consensus: Roland Emmerich's 2012 provides plenty of visual thrills, but lacks a strong enough script to support its massive scope and inflated length.

Australian Rating: TBC

Genre: Action/Adventure

Australian Theatrical Release:
Nov 12, 2009 Wide

US Box Office: $108,131,263

Synopsis: Roland Emmerich has given movie watchers several apocalyptic films in the past in INDEPENDENCE DAY and THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, and he offers another look at the end of the world in 2012. This... Roland Emmerich has given movie watchers several apocalyptic films in the past in INDEPENDENCE DAY and THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, and he offers another look at the end of the world in 2012. This action film stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Amanda Peet. [More]

Starring: John Cusack, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt

Starring: John Cusack, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson

Director: Roland Emmerich

Director: Roland Emmerich
Screenwriter: Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser
Producer: Harald Kloser, Mark Gordon, Larry Franco
Composer: Harald Kloser, Thomas Wander
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Teaser Trailer
    >
    Trailer
    >
    Newscast
    >
    Apocalypse
    >
  • L.A. Escape
    >
    Taking the Bentley
    >
1 - 4 of 6

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for 2012

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

It's easy to mock throwaway blockbusters like 2012, but as enthralling, mindless entertainment, the film is difficult to fault.

Full Review Source: The Age (Australia) | comment Comment
11/12/09
Jim Schembri
Jim Schembri
The Age (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Wow special effects and a top supporting cast can’t override the numbing length of this best-of disaster movie blockbuster.

Full Review Source: FILMINK (Australia) | comment Comment
11/11/09
Julian Shaw
Julian Shaw
FILMINK (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If you’re the kind of movie goer who will happily munch popcorn at the sight of the apocalypse, 2012 will do the trick just nicely. And nastily.

Full Review Source: Herald Sun (Australia) | comment Comment
11/11/09
Leigh Paatsch
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's big and cheesy and if you're in the mood for a dose of exaggerated end-of-world chaos, this is the popcorn movie for you. Roland Emmerich has gleefully combined every possible disaster extreme with child-like enthusiasm: massive visual effects

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
11/11/09
Louise Keller
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This movie is a disaster. At least it would be if it didn't fall into the "so bad it's good" category.

Full Review Source: Sunday Mail (Australia) | comment 8 Comments
11/08/09
Colin Newton
Colin Newton
Sunday Mail (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It’s easy to scoff at the over-reliance of CGI in contemporary cinema but for a film like this it’s part and parcel of the whole, and computer generated effects have never before been used as spectacularly.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment Comment
11/04/09
David Stratton
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Terrible; wonderfully terrible.

Full Review Source: IGN Movies AU | comment 79 Comments
11/02/09
Patrick Kolan
Patrick Kolan
IGN Movies AU
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Emmerich supposedly spent $260m to give you the biggest experience for your ticket dollar and in this regard, he has succeeded tremendously, while, intentionally or otherwise, also delivering one of 2009’s best comedies.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine Australasia | comment 17 Comments
11/02/09
Michael Adams
Michael Adams
Empire Magazine Australasia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's missing the point to note that the patriotism on display in '2012' is embarrassingly shallow, as are Emmerich's genuflections to the value of faith. This is not a movie of ideas, but one of visceral thrills. On that level it's hardly inspired.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
11/24/09
Rossiter Drake
Rossiter Drake
San Francisco Examiner

works best when it immerses us in the vulgar mayhem, rather than when it's asking us to care too deeply

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
11/23/09
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

In the final forty-five minutes the movie starts to feel very long and played-out.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/23/09
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

What's so frustrating about "2012" is that it could have been a great action movie. If the special effects team can do their jobs, certainly better writers could have been hired. But no. Just try finding a surprise.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment 1 Comment
11/20/09
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

If you want to see the most incredible end-of-the-world footage rendered since Nic Cage's Knowing, buy a ticket. Otherwise, it'll look just fine on your television next year.

Full Review Source: MovieCrypt.com | comment 2 Comments
11/19/09
Kevin A. Ranson
Kevin A. Ranson
MovieCrypt.com

As the action becomes less fabulous and more repetitive over 2012's 150 minutes, the philosophical debate ratchets up.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
11/19/09
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

An Oscar-caliber cast and dazzling visual effects can't rescue this formulaic disaster flick from a script flooded with generic dialogue and preposterous plot points.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
11/19/09
Tyler Hanley
Tyler Hanley
Palo Alto Weekly

A more delightfully bad movie hasn't been seen in all of 2009.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment Comment
11/18/09
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

... the farfetched beginning is such a turn-off that as the story becomes more credible, we don't have much patience to forgive the absurdities that dominate the first half.

Full Review Source: Atlantic City Weekly | comment 2 Comments
11/18/09
Lori Hoffman
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

Emmerich's desire to cram as many hairbreadth escapes and eternities of suspense as possible into one movie ultimately feels more like an eternity plain and simple.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
11/18/09
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

The worst sins of dialogue are visited upon the wonderfully soulful Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has to remind creepy government types that those massive high-tech arks are for all of us, not just the rich and powerful.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
11/18/09
Joshua Rothkopf
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out New York

The special effects are pretty special but the plot is a drag

Full Review Source: jackiekcooper.com | comment Comment
11/17/09
Jackie K. Cooper
Jackie K. Cooper
jackiekcooper.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
all

Latest News for 2012

November 15, 2009: Box Office Guru Wrapup: 2012 Destroys the Competition
This weekend Audiences were warned - by Mayans and film critics alike - but moviegoers around the world still flooded the multiplexes to see Roland Emmerich's latest disaster... More...

November 14, 2009: Emmerich doesn't mess around when intent on messing up the world for good. But his pop apocalypse multiplying man's worst fears, always goes down easy with a side order of popcorn. Apocalypse Wow. Opens in new window
More...

November 13, 2009: Friday Harvest: Clash of the Titans, Kick-Ass, and more!
Happy Friday Harvest, a weekly round-up of the best pictures, posters, and videos that have become available for viewing/download on Rotten Tomatoes. Each section features the... More...

November 13, 2009: Roland Emmerich Talks 2012 DVD/Blu-ray, Shakespeare Project, and More Opens in new window
Roland Emmerich is poised to destroy the world -- and rule the box office -- one more time with this weekend's release of "2012." What's next for Emmerich? Shakespeare. More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

70% 70% Where the Wild Things Are 03/12
83% 83% Paranormal Activity 03/12
89% 89% Zombieland 03/12
76% 76% The Informant! 03/12
— The Strength of Water 03/12

What’s Hot On RT

Shock! Horror?

Shock! Horror?

Lars von Trier talks Antichrist

Avatar

Avatar

Watch an exclusive behind-the-scenes video

RT's Twilight corner

RT's Twilight corner

Everything you need on New Moon is here

Kids' Book Films

Kids' Book Films

We fly through 10 of the best

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
32
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
116
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
173
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
129
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
97
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
69
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
58
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
18
  • WB offers DVD to Blu-ray Trade-In Program
15
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
12
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
12
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
9
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
20
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • 2012 at Rotten Tomatoes
  • 2012 at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
Dressing Wonderland
Dressing Wonderland External Link

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

Wes Anderson on Fox
Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Win Glee DVDs
Win Glee DVDs External Link

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi?
Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi? External Link

The New Matilda's Lynden Barber looks at the recent success of low-budget sci-fi -- and asks the question.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.