I enjoyed the story, but towards the end, the boy got a little full of himself while showing off to the other team. Overall message was good, but good sportsmanship should be to. Would have given it a better star rating if the acting wasn't so cheesy.
42 Reviews
pleasant comfort film heavy on wish-fulfilment
relegate_one19 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It was nice enough to leave on in the background, and if you want to feel good with reasonably low stakes, this is a good bet.
But there's not much tension or drama here because the characters don't face much adversity.
Which is to say, this really is a cathartic wish-fulfilment film about a kid who overcomes all challenges simply by being gifted and working hard, and proves the bad coach wrong by being *the best in the world*. Don't expect a character arc.
But it's light-hearted fun if you view this film as the fantasy it is.
But there's not much tension or drama here because the characters don't face much adversity.
- Kyle doesn't make the school team but it's because of an unfair process, so there's nothing he needs to improve on
- I thought it might be about his family needing to make time for him, but his dad has plenty of time for him, his brother makes him for him, even his brother's girlfriend makes time for him
- He suffers no setbacks in terms of his baseball ability, he just trains and is supposedly the potential best player on the planet
- I thought maybe there would be something about his mental ability to play the game, or about overcoming his fear of pitching, but he overcomes his fear with a quick pep-talk from his brother, and then is breaking speed records despite never pitching in a game before. Mentally, he has no difficulties with the game, and any previous trauma he experienced is not explored at all (to the degree I don't even know if his dad was telling the truth or not when he was explaining why Kyle fears pitching)
- I thought it may have been about the stresses of helping a son train in baseball, but his dad doesn't really struggle, and manages to make a sale, indicating things are gonna go well at work, and his mom accepts his dad's devotion to training Kyle, telling him to make Kyle a champion. There's no family discord at all
- I thought it might be about his dad becoming overbearing in training Kyle, as he starts out pretty laid back, but then starts telling Kyle that every moment spent not training is an opportunity someone else gets. But Kyle just... trains really hard with no problems
- I thought it might be about the dad realising he's living vicariously through his son, as the film mentions the dad gave up on his own dreams. But this doesn't go anywhere except making Kyle never want to give up
- Kyle never *does* want to give up, by the way. He tells his dad "make sure I never give up", but then never needs any motivational encouragement
- He doesn't especially struggle against any players. He gets his comeuppance against players simply by being better than them (so there's no tricks to overcome better players, he just *is* the best player)
- Everything comes easily. Kyle is the best player in the world but, despite training hard, doesn't look like he trains at the intense level the best player in the world would train at. He also just doesn't look like he plays *that* well, or look *that* athletic, so it's a tough pill to swallow.
- Even his main "adversary", if you can call him that, the school coach, just admits he was wrong to cut Kyle, and again this is simply achieved by Kyle being a better player
Which is to say, this really is a cathartic wish-fulfilment film about a kid who overcomes all challenges simply by being gifted and working hard, and proves the bad coach wrong by being *the best in the world*. Don't expect a character arc.
But it's light-hearted fun if you view this film as the fantasy it is.
A little research would go a long way
willkeathley14 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Watched this last night and enjoyed the idea behind the movie, my oldest ballplayer is 13 and we went through Districts/All Stars the last couple of seasons so we thought it could be a fun watch.
However sports movies like this one amaze me in the fact that they still have to make everything so unrealistic and over the top that it becomes not enjoyable for anyone who understands the game that's being portrayed in the film.
First off, if you're going to make a kid so good that you claim he's going to be the best player on the planet, find one that can play the game. Acting is less important (see: The Dad and the Coach) in this film anyway, so why they didn't use a kid that has a good swing (his hands were in a terrible position) and finishes his throws. It shouldn't be that hard to find 12 year olds who can play baseball. When it comes to pitching, the main actor doesn't follow through, in real life he's probably throwing 35mph tops. The tall kid at states who they clocked in the upper 70's also had terrible form and wouldn't get anywhere close to that kind of speed.
A lot of the kids playing ball in the movie (I assume most were just kids with this budget) aren't anywhere near the level needed to make it to the state championship level. No pitcher at that level (that the coach would bring in with the game on the line) would perform the way the kid who pitched before Kyle did. Go watch a state championship game and they could have realized what they were putting on the field wasn't good.
Don't get me started with the college coaches scouting the little league state championship tournament. Then telling the parents the kid will get offered a 100million dollars and they can't compete with that. The top pick in this years draft caps out at 8.4 million, there's rules concerning how much they can pay him. So 100 million is completely over the top and could have been fixed by just saying "millions of dollars" and is still just as impressive for this situation.
On top of all that, you ruin a good story with inaccuracies that should have been super easy to not make. You talk about every kid dreaming to play in the world series and yet you get a lot of fundamental things wrong with the game and the tournament.
1. You can't lead off in little league until after the ball crosses the plate. 2. You can't just "get an apartment" so you can play in a different league. I understand they probably had someone go "you can't just play somewhere else" and they threw the "I got an apartment" line into it post filming. This could have been easily solved by him getting cut by his old coach before they moved to the new house 3. The fastest 12 year old was clocked at 81 (They researched this yeah!) but why they felt the need to make this kid throw 90mph (Translates distance wise to 115+ mph) doesn't make sense to me. He could have throw 80 and it's still over the top, but at least its a possible scenario.
There's a lot more that just lets you know the writer is writing on a subject he has no idea on. Could have been an 8/10 movie based on the story and the topic, but lack of research on their topic and not having kids that are believable to be at the state championship level knocks it down to a 2/10. In the end if you want those of us who have lived some of the movie to enjoy it, you have to be better.
However sports movies like this one amaze me in the fact that they still have to make everything so unrealistic and over the top that it becomes not enjoyable for anyone who understands the game that's being portrayed in the film.
First off, if you're going to make a kid so good that you claim he's going to be the best player on the planet, find one that can play the game. Acting is less important (see: The Dad and the Coach) in this film anyway, so why they didn't use a kid that has a good swing (his hands were in a terrible position) and finishes his throws. It shouldn't be that hard to find 12 year olds who can play baseball. When it comes to pitching, the main actor doesn't follow through, in real life he's probably throwing 35mph tops. The tall kid at states who they clocked in the upper 70's also had terrible form and wouldn't get anywhere close to that kind of speed.
A lot of the kids playing ball in the movie (I assume most were just kids with this budget) aren't anywhere near the level needed to make it to the state championship level. No pitcher at that level (that the coach would bring in with the game on the line) would perform the way the kid who pitched before Kyle did. Go watch a state championship game and they could have realized what they were putting on the field wasn't good.
Don't get me started with the college coaches scouting the little league state championship tournament. Then telling the parents the kid will get offered a 100million dollars and they can't compete with that. The top pick in this years draft caps out at 8.4 million, there's rules concerning how much they can pay him. So 100 million is completely over the top and could have been fixed by just saying "millions of dollars" and is still just as impressive for this situation.
On top of all that, you ruin a good story with inaccuracies that should have been super easy to not make. You talk about every kid dreaming to play in the world series and yet you get a lot of fundamental things wrong with the game and the tournament.
1. You can't lead off in little league until after the ball crosses the plate. 2. You can't just "get an apartment" so you can play in a different league. I understand they probably had someone go "you can't just play somewhere else" and they threw the "I got an apartment" line into it post filming. This could have been easily solved by him getting cut by his old coach before they moved to the new house 3. The fastest 12 year old was clocked at 81 (They researched this yeah!) but why they felt the need to make this kid throw 90mph (Translates distance wise to 115+ mph) doesn't make sense to me. He could have throw 80 and it's still over the top, but at least its a possible scenario.
There's a lot more that just lets you know the writer is writing on a subject he has no idea on. Could have been an 8/10 movie based on the story and the topic, but lack of research on their topic and not having kids that are believable to be at the state championship level knocks it down to a 2/10. In the end if you want those of us who have lived some of the movie to enjoy it, you have to be better.
Great movie
ashleeleiber30 May 2019
My 3 baseball boys love this movie, as soon as it's over they all want to go outside to practice. The overall acting is a little goofy, but the message is great and perfect for kids age 5-12. We rented in on amazon a couple times and finally just decided to buy it on prime so we can watch it whenever we want.
Challenging to take serious.
minnesotazepher7 April 2019
A Must See Family Movie.
pdbodyshop26 April 2020
Being a sports fan and having coached both my sons when they played baseball this movie reminded me of what a great game it is and how so much can be learned from it. A must see for families with young baseball players.
Perfect family movie!
jawales1 May 2019
This movie is really bad.
calebmschultz7 April 2019
This movie is just awful. I found myself laughing at this film throughout this whole film. The first problem is the acting, it's really bad. It seems like they just got actors off the streets. They only have two sets, the baseball field, and the house. It seems like the only spent $8 dollars on the film, it looks really bad. I almost recommend that you watch this film base on how bad it is. This movie doesn't deserve a 7.9 rating.
Problematic in so many ways...
EddieSixx16 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Let's not talk about the fact that most of the main ball players look like they never played the sport. That is something viewers can probably overlook, considering that a lot of big budget sports movies in the past also cast actors and not athletes, so this low-budget one did as well. Fine. The acting is not great, mind you, but even that gets a pass. What doesn't get a pass is the messaging. First, Kyle's dad is a bit of a baby. Arguing with the coaches, bending league rules, being okay with Kyle walking a guy in the championship game? As a coach and former athlete, these are all reprehensible behaviors. Sure, the kid maybe didn't deserve to be cut early on, but he was also an unknown quantity at the time of the first tryout and maybe the coach wanted to go with past team chemistry - fair enough. Yes, the coach had other flaws, but those were not the reason the kid was cut. The dad coming at the coach after his kid gets cut is basically what is wrong with youth sport. Dad should have STARTED with the "Work hard and prove them wrong" speech to his kid, not had it as a follow-up to his pity session and telling his son it wasn't fair like a little snowflake. I just feel like this movie misses in places it is not supposed to. I found myself cheering against Kyle and his father, and even his brother was a tool for most of the movie. Bad movie.
BEST MOVIE EVER
nwsoccer17 June 2020
I have no words. The way this movie left me breathless was beyond moving. Almost instantly I was brought back to the summers of my youth playing ball with my buddies. Kyle's strength and determination even when faced with the adversity of being cut from the local all star team because of a kid who's dad did work for the coach, was SO inspiring. After all the same thing once happened to me. I can only hope that one day my own kids can live up to the legacy that was Kyle. Maybe I will name one of them after Kyle in his honor?? Anyway, I 1000000% recommend "12" it's a real tear jerker. Sequel "13" coming out soon?
Worst movie I have ever seen, literally
rbaumgar-3819331 August 2019
I have seen thousands of movies and this is by far the worst. I cannot put into words what a travesty the whole thing turned out to be. An absolute abomination. Cheesy dialogue, over-acting, under-directing... every negative word you can think of.
A Great Feel Good Movie Of 2019
marksport-447018 April 2019
Not every movie has to be The Godfather or Gone With The Wind. Some movies can just make you feel good that you watched it. Twelve clears that in street clothes. For anyone that has struggled or asked if they were good enough, Twelve gives you hope and promise and makes you want to try! We loved this movie. Absolutely worth it!
One of the worst movies ever
apiccuillo8 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I was an extra in this movie and let me tell you this is awful. I was a kid trying out for the team, and as a kid who has played competitive baseball before, this is one of the worst baseball teams. The fact that some people can believe these kids are the best in the world is mind boggling. Whoever casted this could have at least put in a few kids that could actually play.
Sssslllllooooowwwww dialogue, but kids liked it
jennileecummings5 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Well, cool movie poster. And the world needs movies for kids... They won't notice things like: the awkward acting and dialogue chugging along in almost in slow motion, the music is for industrial videos, 12U players sometimes appear to be playing 16-year olds, the bracket progress was difficult to follow, and the crowd size of the audio didn't match the video. Kyle throws 90+ at that distance, will be the best prospect on this planet, $100M contract? More awkward. All in all, it feels like first time director, writer and actors were assigned their first project and this is what they came up with. If so, not bad at all. Our 8 and 10 year old boys who play travel and LL enjoyed it, so there you go. The fact that someone funded it and it got made deserves props, as it's not easy.
Great Family Movie!
tbeer-9090030 March 2019
My entire family really enjoyed this movie! My sons are 6 and 8, and all they want to do now is go outside and start practicing like Kyle! Not only is it family-friendly, but there are many good lessons to be learned as well. We were all cheering for the Brighton team!
Absolutely the worst movie I have ever seen.
bigbenzink12 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Well at least me and my family had a good laugh over this movie, not because of the movie was good in any way but because the movie was absurdly bad. The fact that they have a 12 year old in this movie throwing 90mph is completely insulting to anyone who has ever taken baseball even somewhat seriously, and also the scout saying that a team will give him 100 million dollars is completely comical considering that the most a person has ever gotten as their signing bonus in the draft is just over 9 million dollars. In essence, this movie is awful but watch it if you just want to laugh at how bad it is.
Perfect for the end of baseball season!
kellie-9528930 May 2019
My 11 year old loves baseball and babeball movie. He and has watched it several times and I'm sure it will be a regular in the rotation going forward! Love the emphasis on hard work, positive attitudes, and practice. It was enjoyable for the whole family.
Cringe, cringe... horrible acting.
BBogus23 July 2019
Terrible inaccuracies
cardsfanfred28 September 2020
A nice baseball movie for young players. Positive and heartwarming, and even some good inside jokes for coaches
kelleymc90525 March 2019
12 is a movie made with mostly kid amateur players.actors. Director Grimaldi decided to use these kids as an opportunity for these kids to learn about movie making while actually having fun making a movie. It is nit an overwrought story of crazy parents and driven but miserable kids. It us the story of a kid who wanted to put in the work to become better. How many of us as coaches have asked our kids to do the extra r=things to make themselves better-play catch, do push ups, work on fundamentals even if they are hiring. This story hits all of this. It is as true a coaching and playing movie as I have seen, and I have been around baseball for forty-five years.
An inspiring story portraying 'when the going gets tough the tough get going'
skpn1235 May 2019
A little slow to start but persevere and you will enjoy the warmth, determination, skills and talent that arise out of a strong family, encouragement and dedication to team - a kid of 12 had the strength of character to overcome nepotism and achieve above and beyond. Bravo.
Decent baseball movie
edindinger1 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Being a huge baseball fan, I decided to watch this movie through Roku. It has a good story line, but the one thing I don't think would happen in real life is when the scout comes up to the parents at the end of the movie to tell them that their son will be a superstar in the big leagues and make millions of dollars. I also think it's weird how a scout is at a little league game. The acting is decent and very predictable, and corny at times. It has a good message that shows with hard work comes good things.
Great Family Movie!
jodymaxey6 June 2019
Entertainment or the entire family.
mikebwholesale30 March 2019
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