World Famous Comics: The Island of Dr. Moreau (Unrated Director's Cut)
The Island of Dr. Moreau (Unrated Director's Cut)
Starring: Fairuza Balk, Marlon Brando, Mark Dacascos, Peter Elliott (II), Clare Grant Directed By: Frankenheimer, John Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: Unrated Binding: DVD ESRB Age Rating: Teen Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC Label: New Line Home Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: August 20, 1997 Running Time: 96 minutes Theatrical Release Date: August 23, 1996
Product Description: Dr. Moreau is a brilliant geneticist on the brink of redefining evolution. When edward douglas arrives as a captive at moreaus island laboratory he uncovers fantastic but brutal experiments turning animal life forms into human-like beasts. Soon the beasts revolt threatening not only the island but mankind. Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 04/05/2005 Starring: Marlon Brando David Thewlis Run time: 96 minutes Rating: R Director: John Frankenheimer
Amazon.com: Previously filmed in 1933 (as Island of Lost Souls) and 1977, the classic H.G. Wells story was filmed again for this graphic 1996 version. The film was roasted by critics, but it's an utterly fascinating failure, largely due to the performances of David Thewlis, Val Kilmer, and especially Marlon Brando in the title role as a mad (and in this case outrageously bizarre) scientist whose experiments in crossbreeding humans with animals have gone terribly awry. Thewlis plays the wayward scholar who is rescued at sea by Kilmer and brought to Moreau's island to discover the doctor's unnatural "children." Fairuza Balk plays Moreau's half-cat daughter, but it's Brando and Kilmer (in one scene doing a killer Brando impersonation) who steal the show, along with the astounding makeup effects created by Stan Winston. A guilty pleasure by any measure, this movie has definite cult-favorite potential, and in addition to offering a "director's cut" with previously unseen footage, the DVD includes audio commentary by director John Frankenheimer, who replaced the original director on short notice and completed this film under highly stressful conditions. --Jeff Shannon
Quirky, Scary, Mesmerizing Moreau Remake This is a remarkable film. Let's begin at the beginning... The opening, ground-breaking title-sequence is by designer, Kyle Cooper, the spiritual progeny of the late great Saul Bass (genius who liberated the title sequence from its boring status quo, and told stories with the titles before the movie even began in Psycho, Vertigo, etc.) The motion typography of Cooper brilliantly hints of things to come as we see type morph and mutate against a backdrop of biological imagery in a frenzied, twitchy manner, foreshadowing the characters we'll discover on Moreau's isle... The film updates the story, which has as its original premise, vivisection, to a more modern DNA explanation. And the leap in filmmaking since its predecessor (the AIP version starring Burt Lancaster and Michael York - is amazing). The effects update the Planet of the Apes (1968) state of the art to Stan Winston's advanced mechanical creature effects. The scenes surrounding the animal revolt are truly frightening as sound, special effects, and excellent direction combine to great effect.
But what really mesmerizes is the "strange brew" of talent - a bold stroke on the part of Frankenheimer, as he combines the forces of the Brando and Kilmer characters, each as eccentric as the other, to play against the dramatic "straight man" (our sympathetic center) played by David Thewlis. Thewlis is great as we watch his what-on-earth-is-going-on, get-me-out-of-here expressions grow with the progressive revelation of the island's bizarre secrets.
I'll admit, there are some truly bizarre elements in the film - Moreau's dwarf "pet" who joins him at the piano, for one. The elements coalesce into a concoction that won't suit all tastes, but for those who appreciate bold, out-of-the-box strokes of originality, even if they don't all work perfectly, there is much to savor here.
I return to the Island often.
Very Under-Rated Movie - Horrific, Tragic And Deep The third filmed version of H.G. Wells's story (after 1932's "Island Of Lost Souls" and 1977's "Island Of Dr. Moreau") is a highly under-rated movie, that succeeds both as a part of the 'playing God' genre that (as with 'Frankenstein' and numerous more recent books and movies) looks at the idea of man reshaping both nature and himself to suit his whims; and as a riveting, at times tragic, monster-horror movie.
A plane crash leaves a UN diplomat (played by David Thewlis) the only survivor, adrift in a lifeboat, to be rescued by a boat bound for a mysterious island off the waters of Indonesia. Rescued and treated by the assistant (actually more like hired gun, as we're to find out shortly, and played by Val Kilmer) of the island's reclusive scientist/de facto ruler Dr. Moreau (Marlon Brando), Thewlis is completely unprepared for what he finds upon coming ashore, where the doctor has created a multitude of part-human, part-animal (various species, and possibly sometimes a combination of quite a few) creatures. The general story of the Island Of Dr. Moreau has become universally well-known over the decades through various tellings and re-tellings, and few people watching this would be surprised at the idea that things are going to soon spiral out of control.
There's a lot going on that's not specifically spelled out, though, mainly: did the spiralling out of control have to happen? Thewlis's character may have been a catalyst in a way he never intended.
The creatures are used to life under Moreau, whose ultimate goal with his experiments is to be able to 'program out' all the human race's violence and other undesirable tendencies. Moreau considers himself the 'father' of all the hybrids, and considers himself a benevolent one at that, but it's obvious to everyone but Moreau himself that there are hypocrisies and injustices about. First of all, the more human a hybrid appears, the more Moreau favors him or her, and no one is more aware of this than the least human-looking of the hybrids. His personal favorite is his 'daughter', (Fairuza Balk), who indeed is a gentle and articulate being, but one has to wonder, would Moreau (and for that matter, Thewlis's character) have responded to her in the same way if she'd been, say, furry and hunchbacked (but with the same sweet personality) as opposed to the beautiful young human woman she appears to be, whose only tell-tale signs of difference are her unique eyes? Second, the hybrids, with the exception of a few favored ones who live in Moreau's mansion with him, have little control over their own lives - Moreau dominates them completely, and though he seems to want the best for them, isn't a benevolent dictator still a dictator? Moreau and Kilmer control any undesirable behavior in the hybrids by using remote control devices that activate intense pain in implants within their bodies. Since there are no external wounds, Moreau seems to think they should all forget about it, but still, some of the hybrids have suffered greatly because of these devices. Moreau would argue that they're necessary, as some of the hybrids, particularly those bred from the DNA of carnivorous animals, occasionally show signs of giving into their more feral nature. But still, the seeds of bitterness are planted. It's apparant that many of the hybrids have been struggling for a long time before the movie begins - for example, one of the rules of the island is that no one eats meat, but the hybrids with a lot of, say, wolf or tiger in them, long instinctively to hunt for their own food. They're told they're not supposed to, and are left fighting their instincts and wondering what's wrong with them to feel like this. Meanwhile, aside from Moreau, the authority on the island lies in the hands of Kilmer's character, who's a glorified mercenary and unlikely to have gone out of his way to make life easier for the hybrids.
Then Thewlis comes to the island, the first 'outside' human the hybrids have ever seen (although many of them know that large numbers of 'normal' humans exist off the island) and, although justifiably shocked, immediately reacts to the creatures as if they're freaks and abominations. Except for Balk, who he's immediately drawn to, not even realizing at first that she's one of 'them'. He later gains more respect for some of the creatures, but the damage may have already been done - one more reminder that the island's full-human masters, and now presumably normal humans everywhere, are always going to regard them as lesser. And this plays into a series of events that's already been escalating for some time, where more and more of the more feral hybrids are beginning to rebel. Added into this is that, without regular drug injections, All the hybrids, Balk included, will theoretically revert to a much more savage state.
Great special effects are a highlight of the movie, and swing into full force in the latter parts of the film, as carnage erupts and tremendous, horrifying, beast vs. beast and beast vs. human action engulfs the island with tragic results. Great characters - both good, bad, and sort of in-between -, the aforementioned effects, a jungle setting that's both beautiful and primal, and terrific action sequences all pump the movie up. Scary, thought-provoking, exciting and fascinating, this is highly recommended for fans of horror, action and science fiction, and for anyone interested in stories set in the increasingly relevant territory of the ethical dilemnas of genetic enmgineering and the like. Very underappreciated movie deserving of much more respect. Incidentally, director John Frankenheimer also directed another horror movie in this general vein, The Prophecy (1979), in which the monsters are spawned by the effects of rampant pollution rather than scientific engineering. That's another one I wholeheartedly recommend.
Lions, Tigers and Hyena-Swine. Oh my! Great make-up effects and story. This film has some terrific Stan Winston creations. The Hyena-Swine, Lo-Mai the catman, the Sayer of the Law (Ron Perlman) and Temuera Morrison (of Jango Fett fame) as the creepy man-beast Azazello. Fairuza Balk is a catgirl. There's a dwarf that looks like Benjamin Button. Rat People. This thing has it all. Don't miss it! 5 Stars!
Very Interesting Re-Make This re-make ("The Island Of Lost Souls") produced some fascinating and gruesome human-monsters. You can thank Hollywood FX wizard Stan Winston for these creatures. Sadly, Stan just died last year (2008). He was fantastic in his trade.
Meanwhile, Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer "play God" attempting to create perfect human beings. What is created instead are "people" you almost don't want to look at. It took me two viewings to be okay with it. The first viewing left a bad taste in my mouth, but I gave it a second (and a third) look because the story is so different and intriguing. I liked Brando's dialog, too. His role, as "Dr. Moreau," was easily the best in the film.
*****Spoilers**** What else is a bit unusual is that almost all the main characters in this are killed off by the end, some with sudden surprise.
Back in the '90s, when DVDs began, this was one of the best-looking disc I had seen up to that point. It would be nice to see a Blu-Ray made for this film.
See it for the acting This movie is definitely missing some plot elements (a twist at the end would have been a nice touch) but it still delivers.
I really enjoyed Val Kilmer's performance. He is absolutely insane in this movie. Marlon Brando is also phenomenal and plays the mad scientist to perfection.
I think that the main lead star (can't remember his name) was a little bit of a miscast. The creatures were good, and thankfully the CGI was not abundant. The CGI that is in the film is completely phony and it shows. The special effects team made the right decision by actually using masks/costumes for most of the scenes.
This movie isn't Oscar-worthy, but it has cult appeal. If you're a Kilmer or Brando fan, it's a must-see.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
