Rating: Summary: Great Movie, Terrific "Behind the Scenes" Review: The movie rocks. An indie films on low budget with top actors in non-stereotypical performances that really show their range. The behind-the-scenes footage is top-notch, a student project that kept track of the making of the film from beginning to end, showing us how Gilliam got so stressed and the walls they hit.I can't speak too highly of this film. If you liked Fight Club and you like Time Travel and/or Love Stories and/or Destiny/Twist of Fate stuff and/or Apocalyptic plague stories, BUY IT NOW. ...
Rating: Summary: we're all monkeys Review: incredible film. art/indie style film. great acting. brad pitt is incredible as jeffrey, the mental patient, leader of the army of the 12 monkeys. genius film, with incredible plot twists.
Rating: Summary: 12 Monkeys is a Must See Review: Terry Gilliam's efforts in this movie are spectacular. The visual landscape is wonderful. Yet I feel that the experience is made all the better if one watches 12 Monkeys in conjunction with an earlier Terry Gilliam film Brazil. Many questions posed in 12 Monkeys seem to make all the more sense when looked at through the lens of the worlds created in Brazil- another must see!
Rating: Summary: One of the most credible time travel adventures to date Review: If like me, you are fascinated with the concept of time travel, you probably enjoy traditional science-fiction romances such as The Time Machine. But Twelve Monkeys takes a far more studious approach to time travel. Paradoxes and recursion are encountered, all within a framework of excitement and adventure. The story deals with a post apocalypse world seeking to prevent the very trauma that created it. The clue to it all seems to be in the words Twelve Monkeys, but can Bruce Willis prevent the disaster in time? The screenplay is cleverly adapted by David & Janet Peoples from their own story and provides just the sort of large scale conceit that director Terry Gilliam needs to flourish. Gilliam's design trademarks vast sets with dirty industrial backdrops and dangerously cruel clinical environments permeate the feel of the film. Gilliam also coaxes great acting from his two male stars. Bruce Willis is so cool as the hero of the piece, despite being beaten and bruised for much of the story. Brad Pitt turns in one of his better performances as an apparently psychotic inmate in a mental institution, (has he been wrongly diagnosed?) and Madelaine Stowe is quite engaging as the psychiatrist who becomes an unlikely ally in Willis's quest. A terrific film, and well up to the standard we have come to expect from Terry Gilliam.
Rating: Summary: Eerie Monkey Business Review: Fascinating science fiction that draws you into a complex world all its own, where time is as much a character as any of the human beings. Superb performances by Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe, and a riveting turn by Best Supporting Oscar nominee Brad Pitt whose face, hands, and voice seem to be performing three distinct choreographies simultaneously. Highly stylized set decorations and lavish art direction are enhanced by some truly astonishing special effects shots (gotta love the "animals on the loose" scenes which are alternately menacing and beautiful). The plot twists and turns back on itself like a pretzel, and then pays off during the last ten minutes of the film with a series of stunning surprises and revelations. The Collector's Edition DVD is truly something special. In addition to a flawless film-to-video transfer, it includes a satisfying handful of extra features, including cast and crew biographies, the Original Theatrical Trailer, production notes, and more. Best of all is "The Hamster Factor", a short film about the making of "12 Monkeys", which documents the creative challenges, pressures, and processes of modern day filmmaking in a gritty and realistic light, with no egos spared. This DVD is definitely one to buy, not rent. The film becomes richer and clearer every time it's seen, and it's one of those complex, multi-layered movies that is best appreciated after multiple viewings. Enter the world of "12 Monkeys" and enjoy the adventure!
Rating: Summary: Great Adapted Vision Review: If you haven't seen Chris Marker's "La Jetee," please do so. "La Jetee" was made in 1962, and "12 Monkeys" is an up-to-date adaptation of the cult favorite short film. This film has all the elements to provide the audience with an amazing experience -- mental illness, animal rights, time travel, apocalyptic themes. This film is all about the perception of time and the illusion of it -- not to mention a look at society. It arises questions of existence, the thought that perhaps those in mental institutions are not the ones who are crazy, and sheds light on a possible fate for a not-so-distant future. This is definately a masterpice with great acting, a terrific story, and is beautifully shot.
Rating: Summary: Intelligent Science Fiction and Impressive Thrills Review: This is a very impressive film reinforced with a very good performance from Bruce Willis. The script is very intelligent but it is Willis' performance and Terry Gilliam's direction that makes this a very believable and entertaining tale. This film is equally intriguing and disturbing as it combines science fiction, thriller and mystery elements that spans the future and the past. Brad Pitt also handles his character beautifully adding an edge of uneasiness to this tale but it is Willis' mission of redemption and his uncertainty of that mission that enthralls the viewer. As a side note, it was great to see Frank Gorshin acting in films again.
Rating: Summary: Monkey around with time Review: Action, lots of action, violence and a taste for spiders. This is more intricate than the mindless "Die Hard" series. You have a solid plot and a rather good mystery. Add that to a little time travel and a deadly virus and you have a decent movie. Bruce Willis is tasked to travel back from 2035 to today (1996) to brig back a pure strain of virus that was released into the world. The are the "what ifs" of time and if you look close you may see your self. He gets more than he bargained for and so do we (a movie that will hold your attention.)
Rating: Summary: revolution, apocalypse, darkness Review: The world of the future is infected by a deadly virus, it has killed most of the humans, and those who survived live deep underground, protected by layers of decontamination and sterility; the surface is now overgrown and overun by animals. Willis, an inmate in a prison is offered a reduced sentence if he goes to the surface to investigate and gather samples. What he discovers leads scientists to believe that in the past, (late 90s), a left wing anarchitic group "The Army Of Twelve Monkeys", released the virus to wipe out human kind. He is sent back in time to stop the virus being released, but finds that time travel is an irregular science, stories of apocalypse are laughed at, and he, has more in common with the events surrounding the day of the Army Of Twelve Monkeys than he could possibly know.
Rating: Summary: another gem by a gifted director. Review: when im writing a review for an origianl idea,i must begin it with,HEY GUYS,LOOK,NO RAPPERS/MODELS/SINGERS!!!!!!!!!!just an outrageous brad pitt,and a very convincing bruce willis and madeleine stowe.the premise is that most of the human race is destroyed due to a biological catastrophy.bruce is sent back in time to find whose responsible and in the process,things get mucked up.this is a futuristic,time warping thriller that doesnt rely on special effects.in fact,there arent any outside of the set design.no ray guns,robots,ect...just a tight script,fantastic acting,and a director who takes advantage of these gifts.the ending still has me semi pist off...i highly recommend this to those sick and digusted at the lameasscrap studios are peddling off as movies...
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