Back to 1942
Metascore
41 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 6 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
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  1. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Nov 29, 2012
    40
    It catalogs agony without making you feel it.
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Mark Jenkins
    Nov 30, 2012
    63
    It's a grim tale, and Back to 1942 doesn't pretend otherwise.
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Deborah Young
    Nov 29, 2012
    50
    There is surprisingly little emotional resonance with the well-drawn and acted characters, making it a tiring two and a half hour trek for filmgoers who don't have a stake in the history it recounts.
  4. Variety
    Reviewed by: Jay Weissberg
    Nov 29, 2012
    50
    Shifting between individual suffering (performed, not felt) and extended political and business deliberations, the picture displays its budget but not its heart.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Sheri Linden
    Nov 29, 2012
    40
    Director Feng Xiaogang captures the epic scale of the exodus as well as the often-harrowing details, yet emotional connection proves more elusive.
  6. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: James Spillane
    Nov 21, 2012
    50
    In painting a large-scale tableaux of the Henan disaster, Feng Xiaogang has inevitably been forced to sacrifice the specificity and focus on individual characterization that are generally so important for allowing the viewer a point of entry into such an important piece of history.

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