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Summary: A very cynical movie!
Review: This movie, i.e., 12 Monkeys is an extremely profound movie that raises several question regarding ethics and morality. For instance, whem Willis first arrives in the past, he is put in an insane asylum. Was this because he was considered insane or because he was misunderstood?
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Summary: Twisted Entertaining Movie
Review: I honestly still haven't completely figured this movie out. It is a very strange and twisted story. Although it may be wierd, it is still a very entertaining movie. The casting for this movie was perfect, and the actors do a great job. You gotta see it.
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Summary: Beautiful Cimema
Review: After purchasing this edition of the film, I have not been able to go a day withought watching it. There is so much to latch on to; the cinematography, acting, and general directing...and so many different ways to interpret its ending. "The Hamster Factor" is a must for fans of the film as well as anyone who likes Gilliam's work...My only complaint is that in this edition there is no feature to view Chris Marker's "La Jete" which inspired "12 Monkeys"...however, i would rather have this edition with "hamster factor" than one with "jete" and no "hamster"...so if you love this film buy this DVD...if you haven't seen this film rent it, then buy this DVD...
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Summary: OUR FUTURE IS BEHIND
Review: I love time travels and time machines, in books and motion pictures. The complex paradoxes these themes create have always attracted me. So in which way does Terry Gilliam's 12 MONKEYS bring a new approach to this SF theme by excellence. Well, I must admit that, obviously, this aspect of 12 MONKEYS's screenplay hasn't been developped very far by Gilliam. This director, like Tim Burton and Alex Proyas, is more interested in the process of creating an imaginary world than in the pleasure of rewriting again and again a weak screenplay. So let's admire once again his Brazilian vision of the future and give up the hope to celebrate a masterpiece in which sense and image match perfectly. Nevertheless one can appreciate this future that curiously appears less modern than the present; rather like a rotten paradise with its animals wandering through a nightmarish city. A -could have been the best- DVD. NB: Why but why can't I help myself thinking of TERMINATOR ?
Rating: 
Summary: a mixed bag
Review: There is much to like in this movie; and much to dislike, unfortunately. Great visuals - everything is run down (the past) or bizarely technical (the future). Many viewers apparently like Brad Pitts portrayal of an insane person, but I found it tedious. Speaking of tedious, there's a seemingly endless scene in a mental hospital. I think the story would have been better paced had that been reduced. The story is interesting, but can be hard to follow in detail, which makes the DVD a good choice. I enjoyed the movie a lot more via the scene selections - but tedious when viewed from start to finish.
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Summary: Get Dolby Digital than DTS version
Review: If you like movie this is the one you will definitely love. Plot, acting, and directing are just PERFECT. Only one thing I regret is that I got DTS (my first time) version. There are no extras (i.e. Comments and Making of Movie) in DTS format. Buy DTS only if you are extremely sensitive to audio and have excellent audio system.
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Summary: Gilliam's Finest
Review: For those of you who are familiar with Director Terry Gilliam's work in film, "12 Monkeys" may have been a surprise. Not because it was a convoluted, seemingly drug induced journey through a mental maze but because it was so straightforward. Remember Brazil, The Time Bandits, Jabberwocky and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen? But you surrealists need not Despair, there are still more than enough twists and warps in the plot to keep us guessing.
I have to wonder whether the mainstream nature of the film was responsible for its success at the box-office or whether it was the Bruce Willis effect. I like to think it was both because I can't imagine the film with any other actor taking the lead and yet the story itself is terrific. Some hardened Sci-Fi junkies might think there was little originality in the story. If you pick any film apart sufficiently this can be shown to be true. But it's the combination of events and devices in 12 Monkeys that makes it unique.
Almost all of the film takes place from the point of view of James Cole, (Willis), an inmate of a crowded prison existing well into the 21st century. It's not clear what his crime may be but we get the feeling that merely existing may constitute a felony in Cole's world. But he is offered an exit from his cage by way of a volunteer program. All he has to do is go back in time, to the 20th century, and gather evidence for a group of scientists. Mind you, the scientists may or may not be mad; it really depends on how mad their world is.
You see, the world as we know it was struck down by the wrath of a virus, in 1996. The pathetic remnant of humanity, that survives into Cole's future, are still fighting the disease. Their hope is, that finding a pure strain of the original virus, before it mutates, may help them beat it in their present and thus regain dominance of the Earth. A hope which is made obvious by the population's situation; living underground in air filtered dungeons.
Things go wrong from the start, as Cole finds himself in the wrong time zone. This situation is apparently, not unusual in the annals of the program. He quickly runs afoul of the police and is taken straight to the booby hatch for radical drug therapy. It is here that he meets two other pivotal characters; his doctor, Kathryn Railly and a fellow inmate Jeffrey Goines.
With the walls of the asylum things start to get really complicated. Cole gradually becomes convinced that Goines, (Brad Pitt), may have released the virus, (his father is a virologist), and that Cole himself may have started the whole thing, during a conversation when he was semi-delirious in the hospital. At the same time, Dr. Kathryn Railly, (Madeleine Stowe), begins to believe Cole's strange story as the evidence mounts, and she has to choose between trusting Cole or committing herself for psychiatric treatment
All of the performances are first class but I have to single out David Morse for his small but important part, working in the bio-hazard lab. Also Brad Pitt made the most of his role, coming across convincingly as a manic schizoid. In the end though, it is the story that holds us. 12 Monkeys is one of those rare films that seem to ask more questions than are answered, without alienating the audience. And even if you don't "get it", the ride is worth the ticket price. So get on board.
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Summary: A DVD review
Review: This DVD is very well produced. The sound and video quality are excellent. The documentary could be a DVD all by itself. It has it's own chapters list and gives great insight into the making of the film. It runs at least an hour and is hands down the best documentary I have ever seen. It seems to have been produced by Gilliam as insurance that the studio system couldn't screw him over. This is a carryover from his experience making 'Brazil' within the studio system. I was greatly disappointed with the commentary. Gilliam usually gives good commentary; 'Time Bandits' and 'The Life of Brian' are good examples. Here he seems to ramble, be verbose and go off in tangents for most of the film. Gilliam and Roven talk about making a relatively high budget film, for the time, within the studio system; things like choosing actors, locations, how to spend the money and other general facts about film making. There was little specific commentary about '12 Monkeys' and when there was it was covered in the documentary. You didn't have to be watching the film to listen to the commentary it was that general. This DVD is worth it for the documentary alone and is a great addition to any collection especially if you like the film.
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Summary: The way sci-fi should be...
Review: Although sci-fi can't hold 12 monkeys in only this dimension (also romance, action, comedy), 12 Monkeys epitomizes a brilliant picture of this genre. Unfortunately, movies like this get typecast and as usual (sci-fi) never tends to win awards. Regardless, 12 Monkeys is an achievement with a great plot, terrific acting, and briliant directing. You cannot get a better ensemble than Willis, Gilliam, Pitt, and a story that is both complex and captivating. I have seen many many movies, as I work in a video store, but this is in my top 5. DEFINITELY 5 stars.
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Summary: hampster factors
Review: After buying the criterion collection of Brazil i waited no longer to buy 12 monkeys DVD collectors edition.The making of documentary which runs almost 90 minutes is one the best making of a movie accounts I've ever seen. The only 2 that i have seen that have surpassed this was hearts of darkness (the making of apocolypse now) and under pressure (the making of the abyss).The audio commentary only adds to the genius and madness of terry gilliam.A true gilliam masterpiece made even better.A must own DVD for any collector.
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