Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Madeleine Stowe

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

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84% liked it

350,227 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

48 critics

R, 2 hrs. 10 min.

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Release Date: December 27, 1995

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DVD Release Date: March 31, 1998

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Stats: 17,300 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (17,300)


  • August 27, 2009
    A fantastic sci-fi mystery from Gilliam who can probably boast being a genre unto himself. Fine performances by a capable cast but it's Brad Pitt who really steals the show in one of his finest performances so far in his carrier.
  • August 13, 2009
    i still don't know what to make of 12 monkeys. i've watched it, had plenty of time to digest it, think it over... and all that's coming back to me is that it's weird. it's rewarding in the sense that brad pitt does some of his most interesting acting in it. i just don't understan...( read more)d all the high ratings it's got. to me it's got a bit of a fifth element feel about it which i didn't greatly admire either. i can only rate it as average coz i just don't get the appeal
  • May 1, 2009
    The 12 Monkeys, Revisited:

    The present world is derelict and uninhabitable, a deadly virus has wiped off half of mankind. Those that have not been infecteded are now forced to live underground.

    The story might lea
    ...( read more)ve its viewers perplexed on the first watch, but its also what makes this movie so great, as you can debate so much of it with your friends.

    The acting and storyline is superb, I loved the way Brad Pitt played the bizarro-eccentric-lunatic character in this flick!

    Its definitely one great mystery, science-fiction, thriller movie. It has an almost perfect story line, a couple of intelectual punchlines and the film scores a very high rewatchability on my chart. This movie is a smart delectable treat, and the tandem of Willis and Pitt just makes this all the more a must have.

    Highly Recommended!
    The soundtrack itself only gets a 3 1/2 star rating though.

    Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery, Thriller
    Director: Terry Gilliam
    Rated R
  • March 15, 2009
    Great sci fi movie - Pitt puts on an acting clinic and Willis does a great job. Gilliam created a fantastic world - as he does in most of his films.
  • March 6, 2009
    what if you knew it was insane to visit your own past but went anyway...? bruce willis' best movie, brad pitt's best movie, maddy stowe's only movie, the lists of terry gilliam's achievements here go on and on...it's his best movie, as well
  • November 17, 2009
    Quite a difficult movie, mostly because of Terry Gilliam's incredibly twisted brain. Ingenius, but twisted. This is a really clever story, and don't be concerned if you don't understand the story until the last scene, because that may be exactly when the machine goes bing.
  • November 13, 2009
    My favorite take on time travel. at least in a movie
  • November 12, 2009
    Sc-Fi futuristic movie with time travel. I love post apocalyptic movies.
  • November 11, 2009
    I've always appreciated movies that require digestion periods. This is a huge accomplishment in that regard. Very few movies have caused me to "trip out" as they say. The set up is great, perfect stuff for that. I won't say much. Half the fun is finding out what it's really...( read more)> about. The trip-out scene in question is one of the greatest, too. I believe much of the praise you will read about is of the end scene and it is well deserved. It makes you ask questions, makes you care about what is going to happen. Bruce Willis turns in an unconventional hero performance. He's not really kicking a lot of ass here, which is fine, he's still given a lot to do. I'd never think that he could do crazy so well. I guess Pitt didn't ham it up. It's a typical Pitt performance, nothing special, and it's pretty moot since his involvement is a joke. Ah, that's alright, though. Enough time and effort went into the plot to get a few more watches out of this one. Good show.
  • November 8, 2009
    Great reviews from others, but I didn't like it. It was too weird and I didn't understand it. Pitt does an awesome crazy though!

Critic Reviews


May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Bruce Willis, in an eruptive performance of startling emotional intensity, stars as Cole, a prisoner tagged for an experiment that may get him killed. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

As an entertainment, it appeals more to the mind than to the senses. full review

View more Twelve Monkeys (12 Monkeys) reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • YaRaAaZzZ
    September 28, 2008
    One of Brad Pitt's best performances ever!!
  • columbiatch
    April 15, 2008
    La Jetee >>>>>>>>>> 12 Monkeys
  • Claudia483
    February 24, 2008
    BRAD PITT!
  • Aritosgold
    November 16, 2007
    Its good and hard to understand^^
  • gcicchirillo
    January 7, 2007
    I love this film. It has to be one of the better films with bruce willis in it. My hat goes off to you Terry Giliam. I would love to find out what other films he has done. Make sure you watch it at least 2 times to grasp every little detail or maybe more if you have the time. Enjoy this film
  • juliangreen
    December 7, 2006
    severa pelicula y ese futuro no es un futuro ni tan lejano del nuestro,axcelente la actuacion de brad pitt y la de bruce willis
  • GemmaCo
    August 21, 2006
    Saw this film for the first time today... goood.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Twelve Monkeys (12 Monkeys) Trivia


  • This is a quote from which film -"Well, here's my theory on that. When I was institutionalized, my brain was studied exhaustively in the guise of mental health. I was interrogated, I was x-rayed, I was examined thoroughly." ?   Answer »
  • Which movie has the tagline: " The Future is History " ?  Answer »
  • Unbreakable takes place in Philadelphia. On the wall of Elijah's workshop among the newspaper clippings is a headline "Killer Virus Released at Airport". What other Bruce Willis film is this a reference to?  Answer »
  • James:I'm here about some monkeys. Jeffrey: Monkeys? James: Monkeys. Yes. Twelve of them. What movie is the above quote from? Hint: the answer's in the question.  Answer »

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