[.ca] 12 Monkeys [HD DVD]

Amazon.com Essential Video:
Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée (which is included on the DVD Short 2: Dreams), 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality. Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the '90s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. The Collector's Edition DVD includes a fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary (The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of 12 Monkeys) in addition to the theatrical trailer, production notes, and a 12 Monkeys archive of still photos, design concepts, and storyboards. --Jeff Shannon

From Amazon.co.uk:
Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée, 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality. Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the 1990s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. --Jeff Shannon

When Filming This, Gilliam and Willis Didn't Monkey Around:
Inspired by the 1962 French short LA JETÉE--an unusual film from director Chris Marker that relays its narrative via a collage of still images--the sci-fi flick 12 MONKEYS tells the story of a tough convict (Bruce Willis) from circa 2040 C.E. who "volunteers" to travel backwards in time to the 1990s on a mission to locate the source of a viral pandemic that will wipe out more than 90% of the Earth's population before the year 2000. This opus from auteur Terry Gilliam is more earnest and convincing than many of his previous efforts, and it is arguably his best film to date. The convoluted plot does require viewers to be attentive and exercise the gray matter, but the audience is rewarded for the effort with a fascinating and satisfying cinematic experience. The acting in 12 MONKEYS is top-notch, especially the work of the three principals. As the time-traveling antihero, Bruce Willis delivers one of his greatest performances and is touchingly emotive as his character tries to accomplish his task while also retaining his health and sanity. Playing a psychiatrist who eventually becomes Willis' love interest, the pretty Madeleine Stowe is convincingly as strong and intense or as vulnerable as the role demands. And in his hilarious portrayal of a demented anarchist who also happens to be the son of a famous virologist, Brad Pitt fervently chews the scenery and nearly upstages his more experienced costars. Willis' struggle with the psychological aporia and culture shock of traveling backwards in time while he also pieces together a complicated but vital puzzle makes for a literate yet gripping science-fiction thriller that keeps viewers guessing right up to the final scene. Yes, the plot is complicated and labyrinthine, but it all ultimately comes together in an intense and scintillating epiphany. Ardent sci-fi fans will especially enjoy the final payoff, but even filmgoers not normally into the genre will find 12 MONKEYS to be an enjoyable flick. The standard DVD from Universal offers a nearly pristine digital transfer of the film in anamorphic widescreen at the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Also included are cool bonus goodies like a feature commentary with director Gilliam and producer Chuck Roven, a featurette made during the film's production, the original theatrical trailer, and more. Universal also offers 12 MONKEYS on a special DVD that offers DTS Dolby sound, but apparently the better sound comes at the cost of bonus features. In short, 12 MONKEYS is a must-have for sci-fi fans, but all lovers of great cinema should be pleased to have this film in their DVD collections.

The best acting of Bruce Willis to date!:
Willis plays a time traveler from the future . His mission is to save the mankind from extinction. It's a must for you to watch the La jetée of Cris Maker in 1962, film that inspired Gilliam. Once more the journey of the hero is a huge cycle . He comes from the future and will try to stop the unavoidable destiny of the world loaded for misery , pollution , overpopulation and hopeless. Gillliam handles the camera like Gods with that masterful so typical from him, Pitt as the madman is powerful too. Art direction of first rate , dazzling direction and amazing visual effects ; add to all this a magnificent script and hera you have: one of the major achievements of Gilliam in his brilliant career.

PERPLEXING, BUT A FABULOUS TIME TRAVEL FLICK WITH A MESSAGE:
Yet another film that views the future of humanity as a grunge pit, about as darkly as Gilliam's own "Brazil", but houses a fiendishly perfect underlying message. The film has all the workings of a modern thriller. The time travel intrigue is very credibly done and the plot is riveting. The decor looks cobbled together from the debris of the 20th century. Cities are either scabby Skid Rows or towering skyscrapers. Scientists still work in laboratories that look like old postcards of Thomas Edison inventing. Bizarre killers and villains are hurled at our protagonist (Cole, played by Willis), and there are many bloody fights. Bruce Willis is superb in his rendition of a man from the future, especially his impish reverie on listening to simple music. Brad Pitt does more than he typically does in movies, which is perhaps why he overdoes it. He almost makes the manman he plays a laughable caricature. But all of this is just the plumbing for what the movie is really about -- its vision. With a little pondering, forced or naturally invoked, one can actually identify with all the craziness of this movie. Beneath its slick sci-fi veneer, it actually couches a rather gloomy message of how we are letting our supposed technological advancement govern our fate. Brilliiant script, excellent visuals, and some delectable but pithy insanity. Highly recommended, to purchase, not just rent.

An Accurate Yet surreal account of the future:
Twelve Monkeys is an excellent film by Terry Gilliam. It takes place in a future world which mirrors our current world; however, a flu virus has destroyed a majority of the population of the world. Bruce Willis portrays a prisoner who volunteers for an experiment involving time travel-- his mission: to discover where the flu virus was first released. Each time he enters the past using an insane assylum as a porthole, a horrifying chain of events occurs. This is a visually stunning and edgy film. The performances by all of the actors -- Bruce Willis, Madelaine Stowe, and Brad Pit-- offers a grim yet real glimpse into the reality of a future pandemic. I would definately suggest this film to anyone who enjoys good art direction, surrealistic sci fi, and great acting. Ligeia

12 Monkeys:
Despite the cheesy special effects and some unnecessarily silly scenes that greatly detract from the movie, 12 Monkeys is a very good science fiction movie. Set in the year 2035, a plague has wiped out much of the human race and they are forced to live deep underground. Scientists of the era send criminals back in time, using imperfect time machine technology, to try to discover the origins of the virus so they can bring a sample back to the future to find a cure, and take back the planet. Bruce Willis plays Cole, who is sent back to find out who the 12 Monkeys are, which are believed to be a terrorist group responsible for the unleashing the virus. Unfortunately, he sent back to wrong time and finds himself in a mental institution. While there he is treated by a psychiatrist played by Madeline Stowe and runs into Brad Pitt - a wacky mental patient. It's hard to tell much more about the plot without giving the movie away, but these two characters play a vital role in the plot. The director does an excellent job with the time travel elements of the story, an aspect that become quickly inconsistent and ruinous to a movie of this nature without careful attention to detail. The acting is also superb. I would highly recommend the movie. Also note, the "Making Of" feature on the DVD is one of the few that I actually enjoyed and found quite interesting.