Rating: 
Summary: Willis wows!
Review: Brad Pitt got most of the praise from this film for his portrayal of the demented son of a wealthy Bio-tech researcher. However, I think most people overlooked Willis' performance in this role. In my opinion this is one of the first films in which Bruce Willis shows just how good an actor he can be. Sure the Die Hard films had already cemented Willis as a movie star, but he pulls out all the stops here in Terry Gilliam's sci-fi genre bending flick. Willis shows us how good he is at being quiet and contemplative--something that went on to win him accolades in films like 6th SENSE. But Willis also brings this haunting sense of desperation and pain to his character which he hadn't shown in his work prior to 12 MONKEYS. As for the DVD it's got the goods when it comes to extras. Fans of Terry Gilliam will be happiest as the documentary "The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of 12 Monkeys" centers on Gilliam's vision for the film and takes you from pre-production meetings about set designs all the way to Gilliam's publicity tour to promote the film's release. Great story (with an ending filled with so many subtle twists that it still causes much debate on Internet BBS), excellent performances, and outstanding camera work by the director and cinematographer. 12 MONKEYS is a must have for any DVD collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Less than it seems
Review: Can't touch the actor performances, but the story is more a competing morass of themes that leave the ending dead. There is no real convergence of meaning because the themes never come together. The psychiatric world is characterized accurately, especially in Dr. Railly's self-affirming statement to her supervisor. Cole never figures out what his flashbacks are all about, and at the last minute takes an about face to change the future he knows can't be done. What the time travel, psy-world, and animals rights activists have in common is unknown from start to end. Each of these themes aren't explored and converged to produce anything stimulating. Rent it if you're bored. A much better story and drama is The Fifth Element.
Rating: 
Summary: A movie for the thinking man (or woman).
Review: You know a film is good when you come out of the theater discussing it with friends. You know it's really good when you come out of the theater in *silence*, afraid to break the quiet by asking any questions at all. I found myself still thinking about this film YEARS after seeing it. I thought the actors did a great job, but the *ideas* in the film are what I keep coming back to. The juxtaposition of the vibrant world of Madeline Stowe's character and Bruce Willis' character is stunning. And going thru the experience with Willis keeps you on the edge of your seat as you hope against all odds that SOMEONE, anyone, will take him seriously. David Morse also does a great job here. He plays nice guys well (the father in CONTACT), but I like him more when he's a meanie. Gilliam's direction is once again solid throughout-he guides the film with an expert's touch. There is a lot going on here-I had to see the film two or three times to pick up on most of the stuff. I still see new things each time I watch it. The DVD transfer is great and the sound is good too. I like the extras as well. A must-see. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Darkness, Decay, Madness and Love
Review: A terrific movie, whether you see it as a time-travel story, an exposition on madness, a journey through paradox, or even a love story. It is all these things and more, with a sad melancholy that truly makes you appreciate our society, messed-up as it is.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: A bruce willis role that goes a beyond what you normally see bruce willis do. Madeleine Stowe is amazing and Brad pitt is beyond cool. great directing job by Terry Gilliam and defintely worth owning. Whenever you want to see something interesting and a little less run of the mill,...this is definitely for you
Rating:
Summary: A true MASTERPIECE!
Review: this movie in my oppinion is a masterpiece, I think everything is said about this movie and i do not need to repeat them. You might need to watch it more than once to apriciate it and also apriciate the exellent directing and acting. Musics are also great, Especially the violin piece at the end. the movie combines Science fiction and romance at some point at least thats what i felt. Buy this DVD now, it also has some exiting extras including a very long "making of" and some still photographs. The DVD has an exellent sound and video quality.
Rating:
Summary: Very Thoughtful
Review: When I saw this movie in the theaters, I thought it was going to be alot like Seven. Although they really weren't, it was still a very excellent, thoughtful movie. I would always recommend it to friends, so I finally decided I might as well buy it for myself instead of renting it so many times!
Rating:
Summary: Monkeying around with time and viruses and crazy Brad Pitts
Review: Terry Gilliam's "nightmare vision" is pretty nightmarish, in a funny Terry Gilliamish way. There's something humorous and mischievously entertaining about "Twelve Monkeys" that keeps it from taking itself too seriously and falling prey to pretention, but then it comes back at you just as intense and creepy as a movie can get. It keeps itself fresh and fluid, with a healthy dose of quirk to it. But I don't think it knows it's an apocalyptic vision. The film is about James Cole, played by Bruce Willis, a man from the future who goes back in time to stop the disaster that sent him underground from ever happening. But that's the simple way of describing it. The story is in a constant fight as to where to go with the plot, with probably a dozen sub-ideas that could turn into something. It's twisted and elaborate and almost impossible to explain to someone without them saying "what?", but like "Memento" or "The Matrix", when you watch it, it makes sense. But these plot developements are delicious fodder and keep it moving, allowing characters like Brad Pitt's pitch perfect sort-of-insane "Jeffrey Bowen" to take a bow (deserved that Oscar nod, BTW). The film's eccentricity takes hold of it. From the cinematography, to the accordian theme that playfully plays throughout the film, to the excessive production design that you know was made that way just because they felt like it (though it does help make the film what it is). And more often than not, the miserable conditions of Mr. Willis or whoever else may be feeling miserable at the time come across the screen in an almost tangible way. But behind the running cinematic joke, and the dark atmosphere of the film, it drives itself home where it must, and Bruce Willis, surprisingly, performs in what is probably one of his best roles. There's a frusterating and pitiful scene when he is desperately trying to make psychiatrists in 1990 accept the fact that he's from the future. They don't buy it, and he realizes that on top of his original task, he now has to find some tedious way to make these people believe him. Teamed with the talented Madeleine Stowe, the duo help create a touching relationship that grounds the film, as it turns out, on a deep personal level. The film doesn't necessarily scare you into thinking all this would happen in real life, we've heard it too much before, and I don't think that was the goal of the movie. But by the end of the film you've been given a healthy sense of dread for the poor characters in the film. How often does that happen? Though when they play the Louis Armstrong classic "Wonderful World" during the credits, it stamps and seals the irony of it all, and does exactly what Mr. Armstrong probably didn't intend the song to do in the first place.
Rating:
Summary: good
Review: a pretty good movie, good acting, great atmosphere. an earlier reviewer asked a couple of questions. one was how the psychiatrist recognized the Willis character? it was from the picture of the WW1 soldier, the one she shows Willis later on. the other was about the scientist on the plane. that's the scientist who comes back from the future to get the information about the virus. she can't stop the epidemic since the madman has already released the virus at the airport security check. she can only gather information to fight the disease in the future. and finally, i never knew madeleine stowe was such an attractive woman! yowsa-yowsa-yowsa!
Rating:
Summary: 12 Monkeys------Gilliam Is A Genius
Review: 12 Monkeys is a unique type of film. It's the type of film that comes along only once in a long while. The type of film that you have to cherish every minute of. Of course, we can always count on bizarro god Terry Gilliam, creator of Brazil, to bring us something a little less ordinary than your generic Hollywood drivel.
12 Monkeys is the uncanny tale of James Cole, an incarcerated sociopath in the year 2035 and a survivor of the plague that wiped out 99% of the population in the years 1996 and 1997. This plague was supposedly spread by "The Army Of The Twelve Monkeys". James was to be sent back to the year 1996 to investigate it and gather information by a team of eccentric scientists, but something went wrong, and he was sent to 1990. He is then arrested and put in an insane asylum because of his talk of time travel and the lethal virus he was sent to investigate. In this asylum he meets Jeffrey Goines, another patient who also happens to be the son of a famous scientist and expert on viruses. Jeffrey helps James escape, but he is captured and put in an empty room strapped to a bed. He is then brought back to 2035 by the group of scientists. He's sent back to 1996, as originally planned, and kidnaps his doctor at the insane asylum. Things escalate. I don't want to spoil this intriguing story for you.
I strongly suggest all thinkers go out and rent yourself a copy of this great film. I would also suggest the above mentioned Brazil, City Of Lost Children, Mulholland Drive, and Lost Highway to those who enjoy this. Check it out. Twelve Monkeys
Released In 1996
Directed By Terry Gilliam
Starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt
Rated R for violence and language.
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