Combining a widespread theory that existed somewhere between a conspiracy and a prophecy, before bolting it onto the framework of a $200 million disaster epic, was about as high a high concept as you’d have been likely to find. With that in mind, Roland Emmerich’s 2012 was always destined to make a huge splash at the box office.
Sure enough, it would go on to become the director’s second highest-grossing movie ever behind only Independence Day, with a $791 million haul making it the top-earning non-franchise movie of 2009 that wasn’t called Avatar. Of course, 2012 isn’t without many flaws, but the spectacle easily overcompensates for the shortcomings.
![2012](https://wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2012.jpeg)
To be fair, 158 minutes was way too long, and any time things weren’t going boom, the narrative was in real danger of screeching to a tedious halt. That being said, the sprawling ensemble cast all know exactly what kind of film they’re in and pitch their performances as such, even if the one-dimensional cliches and archetypes can get a bit much.
Despite a 39% Rotten Tomatoes score and 47% user rating, watching the world come to a watery end of biblical proportions has proven popular enough to secure multiple Top 10 finishes on Netflix’s most-watched list this week, per FlixPatrol.
Moonfall may have flopped, but at least 2012 is proving to be a hit on streaming, which could signal that audiences haven’t grown completely weary of Emmerich’s shtick quite yet.