World Famous Comics: 12 Monkeys (Collector's Edition)
12 Monkeys (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Joseph Melito, Jon Seda Directed By: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe, Terry Gilliam Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: March 31, 1998 Running Time: 130 minutes Studio: Universal Studios Theatrical Release Date: January 05, 1996
Excellent in All Respects ^ 12 Monkeys is an excellent film that works well in many different areas - science fiction thriller, off-beat love story, semi-noir comedy, etc. -, while superb execution in many general areas pushes it beyond these genres. It thus comes highly recommended not only for fans of these elements but for anyone alive to well-made films.
It quickly becomes clear that director Terry Gilliam made the most of a small budget, not only hiring an impressive talent cadre but also overseeing an ambitious production with large sets, dazzling imagery, and hundreds of extras. His ability to make all the disparate elements coalesce is truly impressive. The sets and special effects are not as flashy as big budget films' but are very creative and extremely well-done. Gilliam's year 2035 is not the usual SF extravaganza but almost daringly bland despite a futuristic sheen; he gives a vivid idea of how society might look if forced underground and in many ways held back but with some technology and intelligence remaining. The cinematography is quite fine throughout, and some of the camera angles are particularly excellent. Paul Buckmaster's score is also up to his usual high standard and used quite effectively.
Perhaps the biggest and most pleasant surprise is that the acting is very solid. I was highly skeptical of Bruce Willis taking the lead role in a film with little action, but he does a very admirable job. His role is full of subtlety, at once intimidating and vulnerable; it was certainly his greatest performance up to this point and a major breakout. Much the same can be said of Brad Pitt; though his role is small - much smaller than the advertising suggests -, it is very different from anything he had done before and quite strong. Some take issue with his performance, but this seems to be more a criticism of his character than of his acting. Madeleine Stowe is also exemplary in the lead female role; her performance is again notably nuanced, incorporating everything from academic authority to panic-stricken ambivalence to disguised bimboism. All the minor roles are also well-done.
The real standout, though, is David and Janet Peoples' script, one of the freshest and most invigorating in recent memory. Inspired by a classic French art film and incorporating many other influences and elements, it welds all into a memorable and original whole. The film is on its most obvious level an SF thriller; exciting, entertaining, and engrossing, it can be appreciated in this sense alone. It certainly has the most interesting spin on the time travel paradox in some time, and its future vision is refreshingly unusual. However, the love element is also important; Willis even says he thinks the film is a love story and may well be right. The execution is far from conventional but not without a certain charm and can be strangely moving. There is also a significant comic element to the film overall; it pokes good-natured fun at some SF conventions; wields a sharp satirical blade at psychiatry, professors, extreme animal rights activists, and others; and has a curious dash of black humor that, in the "trunk" scene at least, even borders on slapstick. Such diversity could easily have been disastrous, but the script's commendable tightness - no doubt helped by Gilliam's strong guiding hand - prevent this. Many films, especially SF thrillers, try to puzzle audiences with plot twists and other tricks only to have it all come together in a devastating ending, but very few succeed so well. The story is told concisely but in a way that keeps us guessing; as in stories by SF great Philip K. Dick, we never quite know what is real and what is not, giving a disarming but pleasing disorientation that draws us in quickly and keeps us interested. The writers deserve special praise for not dumbing-down the story to normally Hollywood standards; this is an intelligent script demanding attention and concentration and that truly rewards repeat viewings. There is also much to provoke thought about a variety of important issues: the definition of sanity, the ethics of science, the rights of animals, authority vs. individualism, etc. Finally, we should be thankful that the Peoples did not take the easy way out with the ending; though ultimately triumphant, it is shot through with tragedy and strongly moving.
The associated documentary is noteworthy enough to attract those who have already seen the film - perhaps even those who already own a prior version. It is easily the best "Making of" I have ever seen. An hour and a half long, it covers every production aspect from initial brainstorming to post-production. Many facets not usually seen - editing, marketing, test screening, etc. - are here in detail. Most fascinating of all is that it has a true behind the scenes feel that is rarely achieved; the principals are unusually open about filming's ups and downs, and their reactions to outside views and pressures are surprisingly candid. The documentary is also a well-made film in itself, entertaining and often funny. It is essential for 12 fans.
All told, anyone looking for a well put together SF film with other attributes - some action, a surprising number of laughs, and even a little romance, plus much to provoke thought - would be hard-pressed to do better than 12.
My Top 20.... ^ This movie is in my top 20 of all time. The story is not to be missed & Pitt & Willis give stellar performances
12 Monkeys (Special Edition) ^ An unknown and lethal virus has wiped out five billion people in 1996. Only 1% of the population has survived by the year 2035, and is forced to live underground. A convict (James Cole) reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to 1996 to gather information about the origin of the epidemic who he's told was spread by a mysterious "Army of the Twelve Monkeys" and locate the virus before it mutates so that scientists can study it. Unfortunately Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, six years earlier than expected, and is arrested and locked up in a mental institution, where he meets Dr. Kathryn Railly, a psychiatrist, and Jeffrey Goines, the insane son of a famous scientist and virus expert. "Twelve monkeys" is also where you see Bruce Willis stand back from the kind of character he used to play in his previous movies, instead portraying Cole as a simple, poignant, tragic everyman. Brad Pitt steals most scenes with a great performance. "Twelve Monkeys" is Gilliam's masterpiece of madness. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
conspiracy theory ^ This is a fascinating sci-fi movie with lots of twists and turns. The movie is very complex and almost haunting in it's surrealism. Bruce Willis gave one of his best dramatic performances ever as James Cole, a man sent back in time to save the world. I enjoyed the character of Kathryn Railly (played by b-movie queen, Madeleine Stowe) very much, as well, because she added both a sense of realism and continuity. Brad Pitt as the resident kook, Jeffrey Goines, was just all over the place. The guy was a little nutty but it was pretty hot when he pulled his pants down. "12 Monkeys" is the type of movie that will invoke thought and discussion. I don't want to give it away but this is also not the type of movie that is all tied up once you finish it. The 2005 DVD includes the original trailer as well as a featurette.
12 Monkeys (1995) ^ Terry Gilliam resists many of his comedic tendencies in this mostly serious, increasingly intense thriller, which, despite adopting a morose storyline, manages some mordant moments of humor. In 2035, a man named James Cole (Bruce Willis), a prisoner of an underground penitentiary, is sent back in time to investigate the cause of a viral pandemic that caused five billion deaths in 1997. After explaining his task to those of the "past" world ('97), Cole is put in an insane asylum, where he meets the eccentric and extremely unstable Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), who he believes may have the answer to the catastrophic riddle. Madeleine Stowe co-stars as James' psychiatrist and eventual collaborator in his search for any clues, and Christopher Plummer plays Goines' virologist father. Brilliant for its mounting of suspense, 12 Monkeys commands engagement, then rips any understanding one may have mustered from under them through hefty, shocking twists, making it an unforgettable watch.
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