20 Worst Films of 2012
From 'Battleship' to 'This Means War,' the year's biggest cinematic stinkers
With all the fawning end-of-the-year kudos currently circulating, it's easy to forget that a sizable number of actual bad movies came out in 2012. Well, consider this a refresher.
From failed blockbuster tentpoles ("Battleship") to would-be hilarious comedies ("The Watch") to lame scare-challenged horror flicks ("The Apparition") to...uh, well, pretty much anything involving Tyler Perry, there's no doubt that the last 366 days have come with a heaping helping of truly heinous cinematic stinkers.
So what better time for an accounting of the year's most outrageous big-screen abominations than on the eve of the coming apocalypse? You're gonna have to make peace with the end of the world somehow - might as well do it by reminding yourself of just how bad things can get at the local multiplex.
Check out our selections for the 20 worst movies of 2012 in the gallery below, then share some of your own picks in the comments.
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Next 117 Commentsneverthehero
December 21, 2012 at 4:20AM EST Reply to CommentI suppose there are a few reasons why a film would end up on the worst of the year. A movie I just watched , Total Recall, did in fact turn out a little boring. However, boring would never ever be a reason in my book to place it on the top 20 worst of the year. It wasn't filled with acting that will win any razzie awards. The directing didn't give me a headache. In a year that gave us, That's my Boy , I say you judge Total Recall too harshly......... Oh and This Means War had everyone in the theatre laughing. They could have dropped the government job shtick but if nothing else it was good to see Hardy and Pine laugh and having fun. Which Hardy in Lawless and Pine in the ultra-serious Trek 2 , doesn't look like they are having much of...
Hosfac I didn't really find Total Recall all that boring. I found it to be slightly more believable and entertaining than the original.
January 21, 2013 at 3:19PM ESTJerod
December 21, 2012 at 4:26AM EST Reply to CommentWhat's with the Chris Pine hats??
Jerod Hate not hats...damn autocorrect.
December 21, 2012 at 4:27AM ESTMonty Jack I'd like to buy a Chris Pine hat. How much?
December 21, 2012 at 11:04AM ESTjimmer So you have any Chris Oak? I`m building a table.
December 21, 2012 at 12:01PM ESTTony it's because no talent ass-clowns love to hate
December 30, 2012 at 10:14AM ESTTony and btw, loved Pine in Smokin Aces, just workin Ben's mouth like a lil puppet
December 30, 2012 at 10:16AM ESTJC Except Star Trek, his filmography is mediocre.
January 2, 2013 at 4:20PM ESTKlingonWithAWhip
December 21, 2012 at 12:45PM EST Reply to CommentFor once, it's refreshing not to see Prometheus on a worst film list. Sure it wasn't great, the story suffers from bad logic and motive, and it's not the film we were hoping to get. Put all that aside and you have an entertaining movie.
syraph Yeah I was quite surprised. It was also refreshing to not see John Carter on the list. Most list tend to confuse "box office bomb" with the actual quality of the movie. And a lot of negative reviews seemed to be concerned with the budget rather than the actual quality of the movie.
January 21, 2013 at 8:59AM ESTMost of the people I showed it to loved the movie, the ones who didn't absolutely love the movie thought it was decent at the very least.
Guy Smiley
December 21, 2012 at 1:43PM EST Reply to Comment"you can’t simply throw immensely talented, charismatic stars (and Chris Pine) into one shot and immediately expect sparks to fly."
I howled when reading this. Apparently Pine's lousy in roles other than James T. Kirk then?
Ginger Pale I don’t get the hatred either. He is a great James T. Kirk, showed his talent before Star Trek with series gigs and the underrated „Carriers“. He just seems to make not the best movie choices aside from ST. Nevertheless „People Like Us“ wasn’t as bad as they make it out to be here.
December 22, 2012 at 1:07PM ESTNot sure what to think about him playing Jack Ryan (or choosing this role or if there needs to another Jack Ryan movie at all) but let’s see.
Maybe someone just doesn’t like his pretty handsome face. He seems like a decent guy who is not always all over the place in an attention-seeking-call-the-paps-manner and gives articulate, charming interviews.
Monty Jack
December 21, 2012 at 3:13PM EST Reply to CommentBattleship actually wasn't as horrible as I expected. It wasn't GOOD by any stretch of the word, but aside from the "hilarious" opening scene with Taylor Kitsch breaking into a convenience store to steal a burrito, it never devolved into the irritating overkill of the Transformers movies. It was dull, but not offensively awful.
chris I loved battleship! Although I went into the movie with the lowest of expectations because how can u make a movie based ( obviously very loosely) on that kids game and there be anything to it, plot or otherwise. I was very impressed with even Rhianna. The one that let me down the most was Immortals as I expected a "300" like film with mickey rourke to be a barbaric visual masterpiece. Turns out it was just barbaric and not enuff of that.
December 22, 2012 at 2:40AM ESTMichael
December 21, 2012 at 11:11PM EST Reply to CommentI just sat through "Anna Karinina". What a stinker! I've seen a tree act better than Kiera Knightly. How did she get to be a movie star? Dont answer that!!!!
vvvvv Man, you don't have the slightest idea of writing the names correctly, illiterate!!!
December 29, 2012 at 9:21PM ESTAtariBaby You've insulted someone's spelling with poor grammar. I am embarrassed fror you.
January 4, 2013 at 12:32AM ESTAtariBaby Hoisted by own petard. Youch!
January 4, 2013 at 12:33AM ESTthenewguy_
December 22, 2012 at 4:24AM EST Reply to CommentWhy no mission impossible III or IV, whatever, the last one...
That movie is pure SHIT, it's hollywood shitting in your face while you watch it. The entire franchise is bullcrap but oh man, this movie is just pure dookie. Well I guess what most people want, car explosions, scientologists hanging of buildings, you know that shit.
forg because Mission Impossible 4 is from last year
December 22, 2012 at 1:44PM ESTInesGreen LMAO! Yea, Ghost Protocol came out last year. I've been on the fence about that film since I saw it in theaters last year and rented it twice at RedBox to confirm my feelings on it. I do NOT like Ghost Protocol. Love the title, though
December 23, 2012 at 10:23PM ESTMike Mission Impossible 4 was great. 94% on Rotten T.
December 25, 2012 at 2:37AM ESTKatie Mission Impossible 4 was one of the best reviewed movies the of 2011 so no way would it be on a worst list. You sound like some kind of Tom Cruise hater and so you just like to bash the movie because of that. The majority of people liked that movie because it was fun, great action and was made very well.
January 19, 2013 at 3:35AM ESTPuneet
December 22, 2012 at 4:31AM EST Reply to CommentIn the Watch, it should be Ayoade not Ayodade
brazley
December 22, 2012 at 2:58PM EST Reply to Commenti just couldnt sit back and allow this one to stand. "total recall" was pretty awesome in my opinion. it had everything a great wwe show would include; action, intrigue, suspense, drama, adventure, sex and comedy.
i didnt find it the least bit boring or dull. in fact, i have it on dvd and still watch it occasionally. to each his own i guess. if you havent seen it id recommend running out the getting it if you like non stop action and great special effects.
glad2bNOTu Prometheus, despite all the problems (which I admit there were, I'm no blind fangirl), was still a way better film than Total Recall. Way better.
February 7, 2013 at 1:24PM ESTTo each their own and all, I'm sure someone in the world just LOVED "A Thousand Words", or any of the films included in this list, but that doesn't make it "cool", it makes it more a "guilty pleasure".
jibby
December 22, 2012 at 4:34PM EST Reply to CommentTotal recall was freaking great
jake
December 22, 2012 at 9:37PM EST Reply to Commentpeople like us was a great movie, I almost cried at the end.
Zim Zum
December 23, 2012 at 1:34AM EST Reply to CommentWorst movie is basically any comedy or pretentious artsy flick that Rotten Tomatoes drooled over.
Zim Zum
December 23, 2012 at 1:36AM EST Reply to CommentWorst movie is any comedy or pretentious Oscar bait flick that Rotten Tomatoes drooled over. Best is Dark Knight Rises. Not that silly Avengers kid's movie.
Dom Dark Knight Rises sucked. Marvel at least has their shit together with making good movies.
December 23, 2012 at 4:38PM ESTMichaell625 Um Avengers was garbage. Dark Knight Rises was a masterpiece and all-around great film-making. The Marvel movies are cheesy comic-book shlock with zero substance. I liked Avengers better when it was called Transformers 3. Of course, angry internet nerds love anything Whedon pumps out.
December 23, 2012 at 5:51PM ESTInesGreen Do not agree on Dark Knight Rises. That wasn't a good movie. The Avenger was blah as well.
December 23, 2012 at 10:28PM ESTcarl The dark knight rises was a bloated, pretentious, boring pile of crap. I don't know how one in good conscience could consider that plot-hole filled, dull excuse for a superhero film the best film of the year, let alone a good film at all. The Avengers on the other hand was a stellar film that stayed true to the source material and didn't forget its humor. That was one of ther year's best. I'll take “silly kid stuff" over forgettable, vapid, “adult" superhero films anyday. Just because nolan directed it doesn't make it good. And just because a superhero film isn't dark or gritty doesn't make it bad. Both aforementioned movies proved that this year.
December 27, 2012 at 7:06PM ESTRicky Why do people insist that one is better than the other. Is it not possible to like both? I do. I think both films were awesome in different ways. And I could watch both of them over and over and over again.
December 28, 2012 at 5:39PM ESTglad2bNOTu To try to compare The Dark Knight Rises (apples) and The Avengers (oranges) is kinda ridiculous. ...so is saying one of those films "sucks".
February 7, 2013 at 1:34PM ESTThey were both vastly different and I, being NOT a close-minded & whiny fangirl, could easily appreciate the both for what they were...
The Avengers was, by far, the "Best Summer Blockbuster" and it accomplished many things, primarily comfortably & successfully merging that many "star characters" into one movie from, essentially, 6 movies. Never been done before, mad success as that was an awesome "Superhero film" from start to finish.
The Dark Knight Rises? Well, a pretentious douche could probably feel happy about claling it "pretentious", but adding gravitas to the genre of "Superhero Films" like Nolan & Co. did was a genius choice.
...and perfect for Batman, as he is JUST "The World's Greatest Detective" and not a "superhero". If you were looking for Batman to be like the older ones, which it never should have been (too comical, like the old-school live-action tv show, which is NOT THE CHARACTER), then you don't have a clue what & who Batman is.
There have been a lot of parallels between Nolan's Batman Trilogy and real life, which is PERFECT for the character. It was one of the best of the year as it merged "fantasy kid's stuff" into real life perfectly.
If you can't appreciate & respect these two vastly different, yet equally awesome, films for what they are, then you're missing the point and probably just some little fangirl who doesn't even have the background to know wtf you're talking about.
I do, I'm in my 30's and grew up w/ all of this stuff on film and on page before your parents even started to practice making most of you.
maverick
December 23, 2012 at 8:48AM EST Reply to CommentI sincerely hope the 20 worst films were never released.
maverick
December 23, 2012 at 8:50AM EST Reply to CommentI sincerely hope the 20 worst movies were never released.
ANNA
December 23, 2012 at 8:55AM EST Reply to Commentworst film "Ted"
You have no taste in comedy and you are not there target audience
January 8, 2013 at 1:39AM ESTK.C. Oh, a cute teddy bear turns out to be a vulgar letch. Hilarity ensues. Real original and funny. /endsarcasm It killed me that Mark Walberg got involved with this dreck (although the scene where he's rattling off women's names is pretty impressive).
January 11, 2013 at 11:01PM ESTglad2notBu BY FAR not the worst movie Mark Wahlberg has ever been in. Seriously.
February 7, 2013 at 1:39PM ESTEver heard of "The Other Guys, The Italian Job, Max Payne, THE HAPPENING"?!?!?!?!?! If you don't have the sense to say, "The Happening was so terrible that it made Ted look like it was genius passed down from Heaven", then you shouldn't be talking.
Not that big of a fan of Ted, but I'd rather see a STAGE PRODUCTION of that movie than even 1/4 of The Happening, or any of the others I mentioned, really.
For a "far out there" movie, Ted pretty much delivered. Way worse you could've wasted money on, including literally every one of those in this list, even the one w/ Ashley Greene's FREAKISHLY FINE ass in it! lol
That Werewolf Guy
December 24, 2012 at 5:29AM EST Reply to CommentWhere is PROJECT X on that list? That surprisingly unfunny love letter for dangerous douchebag behaviour in the name of "earning your school mates respect" has a good chance of becoming my most hated movie of the decade!
glad2notBu Seriously? you're overthinking that movie haaaaaardcoooore. It did what films like Superbad have failed to do in the last decade or so...
February 7, 2013 at 1:43PM ESTIt didn't suck.
Not young, not old, just thought it was at least entertaining while people hailing Superbad to be more than it was (mostly a crappy love story between two dweebs) made no sense whatsoever.
Shawn
December 24, 2012 at 11:33AM EST Reply to CommentDrew, I am surprised that you did not include "The Divide" anywhere, as it inspired you to write the best piece you've ever written as a film blogger. I guess because you didn't finish it? (Which, trust me, I don't blame you, what a lame, stupid movie)
lezboyd
December 25, 2012 at 12:18PM EST Reply to CommentI agree with most of them, except for Total Recall and Gone. Total Recall cause I genuinely liked it (if not loved it), and Gone because I enjoyed Amanda's energy, if not the plot of the movie.
amber tudor
December 25, 2012 at 3:58PM EST Reply to CommentI have only seen 2 of those but "this means war" I thought was funny. Resident Evil was without a doubt to me the worst movie of the year and possible of the 2000s
Chris
December 26, 2012 at 2:36AM EST Reply to CommentWas Silent Hill too good to make this list?
Ric
December 26, 2012 at 2:40PM EST Reply to CommentIt may not have been the "worst move," but the critically lauded "Moonrise Kingdom" deserves mention for brutally killing a little dog with an arrow and making light of it.
MARTIN TODD so what? that makes it a bad movie?
January 5, 2013 at 4:42PM ESTZac i believe that was part of the whole movie's theme. A boy gets struck by lightning and they don't make a big deal of that either. Anyway, it was my favorite movie of the year!!
January 6, 2013 at 11:56AM ESTTyler
December 26, 2012 at 8:46PM EST Reply to CommentI liked "People Like Us" even though the story seemed far fetched. Why would someone's dad not leave his son anything, but leave it for a girl he never knew. He should have split the inheritance between himself and the girl. The movie was based on the writer's life so as unusual as the plotline seems, it actually happened in real life.
anuka
December 27, 2012 at 6:14AM EST Reply to Commentbattleship, total recall, what to expect when you're expecting, resident evil, this means war - they weren't the best movies of 2012 but sure they weren't the worst! it feels like the person who made this list just couldn't find 10 more movies so he just added them
fritz
December 27, 2012 at 9:34PM EST Reply to CommentI would like to see a little bit more justification for why some of these movies were actually bad rather than finding really creative ways of insulting them and throwing in a few things some critic didn't like about them.
grt
December 28, 2012 at 7:32PM EST Reply to CommentWorst movie this year: the Hobbit. Peter Jackson did a poor job on the Lord of the Rings and now he has completely ruined the Hobbit. But I knew it before, american movies kept getting worse and worse over the last two decades. It's a shame, those who have the largest budget make the worst movies.
Jeremy For one, Peter Jackson is a genius and the LOTR ROTK was the only fantasy film to ever win an oscar and it won 11. Also, they aren't American films idiot, they're filmed in New Zealand.
December 30, 2012 at 3:54PM ESTBill Ahahahahahahaahahaha, The Hobbit was great.
January 1, 2013 at 9:47PM ESTmrlongbaugh "poor job on LOTR" You have got to be a troll.
January 3, 2013 at 1:11PM ESTCatina Not only were they filmed in New Zealand...The director is from New Zealand, the special effects department (WETA) is from New Zealand and about 90% of the cast are English actors...Yes I was a little upset with The Hobbit for I am a huge LOTR's fan...However I did see The Hobbit in 3D big mistake...One also must keep in mind The Hobbit is a lot lighter of a movie then LOTR's trilogy. I do agree Mr. Jackson is a GENIUS.
January 15, 2013 at 10:34PM ESTCatina I guess I should have said a lot lighter of a story.
January 15, 2013 at 10:35PM ESTRam Well a complete idiot to say LOTR a poor movie.
January 22, 2013 at 7:35AM ESTCharisma Well, FotR and TTT were sweet, but RotK was awful.
January 22, 2013 at 2:46PM ESTglad2bNOTu The Hobbit didn't suck, and it sure as hell can't be described as "an American movie", you schmuck.
February 7, 2013 at 1:53PM ESTHaving said that, I thought Jackson's previous LotR was more overrated than not. People want to point to the Oscars, but the Oscars suck and can eat its' own pretentious asshole.
...The Departed, Crash, Chicago, & Slumdog Millionaire winning Best Picture, but a film like The Dark Knight not even being on the list?
This year they have Silver Linings Playbook, Amour, & Beasts of the Southern Wild (which I'll only see if some loser PAYS ME to suffer through!), but no The Dark Knight Rises?
Nothing at all for Avengers? Sorry, but I'll take RDJ, Ruffalo, Jackson, Johansson, & etc over that boring, self-important, pompous, lame fluff any day.
The Academy wants to pretend like the films they pick are "SO GREAT", but I could tell you the exact plot of literally each one of the films I mentioned, despite only having seen The Departed (OVERRATED and SUCKED) and Crash (CONVOLUTED, LAME, NO ENDING).
Trying to pretend you're above a "fantasy film", while in reality not actually being that, is stupid. ...and douchy.
Return of the King... people want to whine about the last 2 of Nolan's Batman films being "too long", but NOT THAT ONE?!? Seriously?!? LMAO!
GRT I don't see why Peter Jackson should be a genius if he gets the feeling of Tolkiens stories all wrong. The first part of LotR was ok, though it was really overrated and it lacked important scenes from the book. The second was bad and I fell asleep during the third one (yes, in the cinema!). I loved the books as a kid, but the movies were nothing like them.
February 11, 2013 at 2:16PM ESTI apologise for calling them "American Movies" because it does injustice to some great independent movies from the US. But this is due to my language, I'm no native english speaker and what I meant was "Hollywood-Blockbuster-Bullshit". And the Hobbit is filled with everything I dislike about Hollywood: too much CGI, fast cuts, poor dialogues and stupid jokes. Doesn't matter WHERE it has been filmed, that's Hollywood.
The Hobbit is just about milking the merchandise, nothing more. Three parts for a story that could be told in one movie? Peter Jackson altering and rewriting the story? Oh no! Not again! If the Hobbit would have needed new chapters, then Tolkien should have written them. But he hasn't and it should have stayed that way.
And I agree, the oscars are... not worth anything. It's a "political" decision who gets one, so 11 oscars are no argument for the quality of a movie.
Mae
December 28, 2012 at 11:23PM EST Reply to CommentMaybe this article was written before Parental Guidance was previewed but anytime you have 2 crotch hits in one movie, well it's the WORST. Shame on Billy Crystal.
Tony
December 30, 2012 at 10:12AM EST Reply to Commentholy crap, if this guy never speaks again it would be too soon
Mario
December 31, 2012 at 1:46PM EST Reply to CommentTotal recall is completely sick! Any of you out there that have a problem with this movie need to have your head checked, because I think they got to you too...
glad2notBu *BUZZER* Wrong!
February 7, 2013 at 1:56PM ESTPeople going on and on and on about Prometheus sucking, but want to push Total Recall past what it is? Laaaaaaaame.
Both Prometheus and Dredd blow Total Recall out of the water as far as "comparing Sci-Fi films" goes. Really. My brother went on and on about Total Recall, then when we finally saw it we were like, "Wow. That wasn't even as good as the cheesy older Ahhhnold on".
GOD Glad2notbeu. Dude, you actually liked dredd? Its no wonder you didn't enjoy total recall, too cerebral for ya. Dredd was a weak, boring movie. Prometheus was good but still didn't hold up to the expectations of fans. Its ok, one day you'll learn to view movies differently and you'll see.
February 7, 2013 at 4:12PM ESTstevenball2@verizon.net
December 31, 2012 at 7:47PM EST Reply to CommentOne of the cardinal rules of film for any actress is: Never make a movie with a leading man who is better looking than you are. Witherspoon made that mistake in WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. Her leading man in that movie was both better looking and YOUNGER. In THIS MEANS WAR Reese Witherspoon again breaks the rule with two leading men who are both better looking and younger (or at least younger looking). Chris Pine and Tom Hardy are terrific and don't need a leading lady as long as they have each other. Kind of like George Clooney and Brad Pitt in Oceans 11, 12 & 13. They also don't need potty mouth, over the hill non-actor Chelsea Handler who brings down the movie every time she appears on screen. Chelsea Handler a 40 something "comedian" is famous for bullying a 20 something unwed mother from Alaska. I've read that in order to get a PG-13 rating they had to excise some of Ms. Handler's dialogue. Not to worry, in order to get their money back her scenes will probably be included in the Special Features section of the DVD. Thank God for DVDs so you can fast forward through the scenes with Ms. Witherspoon & Ms. Handler and concentrate on the scenes with Mr. Pine and Mr. Hardy. I never thought I would see Tom Hardy in a ROMCOM but again he surpasses expectations.
glad2notBu No way a human being can sound and be as boring and lame as you do. You must be a lame ass character in a lame ass "Romcom" literally right now.
February 7, 2013 at 2:00PM ESTSeriously, nobody has ever paid that much attention to wtf you're saying. Read a book or something, that seems much more suited to you.
Hint: That's not roses coming from your porcelain throne.
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