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.
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.
