Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 93 Ratings

  • Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe
  • Summary: Between sanity and madness, fantasy and reality, the past and the future, comes an adventure beyond imagination from Terry Gilliam, the acclaimed director of "The Fisher King." Penal colony prisoner James Cole (Willis) must travel back in time from the year 2035 to find the cause of a virus that killed five billion people in 1997. (Universal) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 20
  2. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. 100
    Gilliam, along with the gifted cinematographer Roger Pratt and production designer Jeffrey Beecroft, fashions a disturbing and dazzling lost world.
  2. Bruce Willis is bruisingly good as the hero and Brad Pitt is suitably zany as the activist who dogs his trail.
  3. Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    80
    That Terry Gilliam managed to make Twelve Monkeys into a clever, complex, and poignant success is as astonishing as it is satisfying.
  4. Brad Pitt has fun with his secondary part as a pontificating lunatic, but I wish I'd enjoyed the rest of the cast more.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 28
  2. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. 10
    12 Monkeys is the 2nd best science fiction; #1 being Bladerunner. A highly imaginative movie with a heart crushing ending. This will be around my 6th watching through and you notice something new every time. For example, this time I noticed that each inmate in the future had plastic pouch stapled to their prisoner uniform shirt, for identification. Expand
  2. 8
    just recently had the chance to watch this movie. This was an awesome time travel movie, especially the conclusion. The actors have also done justice to their roles. Altogether a neatly put sci-fi thriller Expand
  3. I loved this movie up until the unsatisfactory ending. It's not bad at all, it's just not what I wanted. Willis' acting is completely natural in this movie for how out-of-place his character is. Brad Pitt is excellent in his role, he nails it perfectly. The music is mainly just reconstructions of the hypnotically enticing theme to the film, but overall is silent aside from a few classic songs. The plot is a bit confusing at times, but if you can get your head wrapped around the idea of it, it's really interesting. I recommend it for people who like Sci-Fi as well as good thrillers. Check it out. Expand
  4. MaxP.
    2
    This film was both too confusing and broing and as for the ending, its a joke, pathetic. if you are going to find out who the killer is then make it a big character not some ginger haired idiot.....A failure for Gilliam, on a kinder note the only reason i give this a 2 is for Brad Pitts unbelievable acting, his best peice to date, too bad the movie was rubbish! Expand

See all 28 User Reviews

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