12 Monkeys

Rating:
Summary: Wierd, Zany, Cooky, I Like It
Review: The reason why I gave "12 Monkeys" 4 stars instead of five was that the movie was WAY too wierd and the asylum was too much to handle. The movie is good because of the camera angles and origanalism. "12 Monkeys" is like a wierder, better, cookier "The 5th Element."

Rating:
Summary: true gilliamesque journey into "reality"
Review: A lot of people are ecstatic over The Matrix, claiming it breaks new grounds in cinematic history. While it has some great camera work, Gilliam has long taken us into "question reality" worlds... and I feel with 12 Monkeys he has accomplished a feat worthy of acclaim.

Orchestrating a film such as this must have been hectic! I think 12 Monkeys does a great job of transporting the viewer to an alternate reality of gadgetry and armageddon, desire and big brotherness, fear and delusion. Though you see the future of the film from its first scene, you're constantly whipped about across time in a frenzy only Gilliam could sculpt into a "believable" tale of what could be described as a tormented quest for love and freedom.

Kudos for Gilliam! Imagine what he could do with a nearly limitless budget! The DVD includes a great "behind the scenes" documentary which convincingly relates the world that is Gilliam in action. A most telling scene depicts the director in a frustrated moment, crushed that he cannot always display on a screen the depths of his imagination.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: I had forgotten just how much I liked this film until I got this DVD. There are just so many things going on in it that I think you have to see it several times. I really liked the whole "I'm cured I'm no longer insane I can stay here" aspect. Bruce Willis & Brad Pitt do fine work, and while some may find Pitt's acting a bit over the top, he seems in touch with the character. The DVD extras are nice too especially Gilliam's comentary which adds to the film. Willis is just plain excellent. I would not hesitate to recommend this to someone who likes the 6th Sense.

Rating:
Summary: Is the past history?
Review: This is an outstanding film, a perfect mix of comedy (provided by Bradd Pitt) Romance, Drama, Trgedy, and action. This is definatley a must have, Its very confusing at first. However, by the end it all fits together

Rating:
Summary: Intersting!
Review: It was extermly intersting with a well crafted plot and intreging story line. Altough it was good it was disturbing with in-human aspects of torture. Brad Pitt was a large overacter; however, Bruce Willis was excellent. A msut see for all sci-fi lovers!

Rating:
Summary: Good, but depressing.
Review: Brad Pitt is the only reason I rated this four stars instead of five. If only we had seen more of the real bad guy's motivations, and less of Pitt's overacting.

Too depressing and disturbing of a movie to watch often, but a great sci-fi premise.

Rating:
Summary: L'Armée des 12 "macaques" !
Review: The French soundtrack is a Canadian dub, thanks to Amazon.com for saying at present (it was not the case when I ordered it, but that's a real improvement on the site). The Canadian soundtrack is absolutely no Dolby Digital 5.1 (as indicated on the box and most of the web sites) but 2.0 Dolby Digital surround. If these are your main criterias for buying the Zone 1 version of "12 Monkeys", you're gonna be really disappointed folks !

Conclusion : I bought the Zone 2 DVD as well, containing the English DD 5.1 and French (real French....) DD 5.1 and it can't stand the comparison even if a bit more expensive.

Rating:
Summary: Not for the weak of mind...
Review: This is the best science-fiction movie of the 90s. It has a brilliantly complex plot carried forward by the excellent performances of the actors. Brad Pitt was spectacular as a raving lunatic, and Bruce Willis gave one of his better performances as well. Another plus is that they didn't decide to make this a huge action blockbuster; it relies on its plot to make it work, and work it does. To fully appreciate the depth of this movie, you have to watch it at least twice; you'll never catch everything the first time. And it's complex...I finally got the rest of my family to sit down and watch it, and fully half of them didn't understand what was going on. Don't get me wrong though...this was an excellent, unforgettable film. Forget the Matrix; see 12 Monkeys.

Rating:
Summary: From time to time.
Review: In the film "The Terminator" we were told the future was not set. In "12 Monkeys" we're told we can't change what's already happened. This is a really clever film by Terry Gilliam about time travel and the danger it presents if we interfere with history.

In the 21st century, only one per cent of the human race remains. They live in shelters underground. A deadly virus is in the atmosphere, making the surface of the planet uninhabitable to humans. The animals roam free, amid the crumbling ruins of our cities.

Beneath the city of Philadelphia, a group of scientists send James Cole (Bruce Willis) on a reconnaiscence. When he is on the surface he finds a red logo of monkeys circling a big "12". Beneath the logo is the caption: "We did it!"

James is then sent back in time to find the source of the virus. He links the virus to the Army of the 12 Monkeys, a fanatical group of animal rights activists. Once he can track them down, a scientist from the future can come back to our time, study the virus, go back to the future and make a cure. But things dont go according to plan...

This film examines the danger of messing around with time. We can unwittingly be responsible for things that we try to prevent. Actions always count. "12 Monkeys" has an allegorical flavour. The scientists in the future have found the secret of time travel but they still haven't beaten the virus. In our time we can send people into space but we still haven't found a cure for AIDS or the common cold.

You have to pay more attention to this film than you would with your normal action film. Much of the film is cryptic and ambiguous.

If you like this film I recommend you read the John Wyndham short story "Consider Her Ways". It was written in 1956 and involves a virus that killed all the men. When the main character tries to stop this from happening, she unwittingly causes the very thing she was trying to prevent. You'll find this story in the book "Consider Her Ways and Others".

Rating:
Summary: .
Review: Interesting, intricately constructed, and generally enjoyable Terry Gilliam film suffers only from the occasional gimmicky tonality and general unevenness that seem to plague most Gilliam films. Still, this is a strikingly unique movie that has a lot going for it, including oodles of detail and nuance, evocative, surreal visuals, and lots of imagination. The performances aren't as universally excellent as they've been said to be, but they're certainly interesting, and the last five minutes of this film provide a riveting and challenging climax. Recommended.