- Actors: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Joseph Melito, Jon Seda
- Directors: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe, Terry Gilliam
- Writers: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe, Chris Marker, David Webb Peoples, Janet Peoples
- Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: R (Restricted) (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Universal Studios
- DVD Release Date: 31 Mar 1998
- Run Time: 130 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
- ASIN: 078322608X
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 90,163 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
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
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nearly perfect, dramatically bold time travel story,
This review is from: Twelve Monkeys [DVD] [1996] (DVD)
They say it's easier to write a sad song than it is write a happy one. The same goes for reviews. A flawed, or terrible film gives you plenty to moan about. A movie were everything about it ranges from good to sublime leaves you with very little to say. And so it is with 12 Monkeys were the only complaints I can dredge up are tiny little niggles.
I'm not saying the film is perfect, but it's very close to it. The story is properly compelling, it's well told, well paced, well acted etc. It's also visually one of the most interesting looking films I've ever seen. There is often a surreal quality to the images with extensive use of Dutch angles (camera slanted to put most things in the frame on a diagonal slope). I wouldn't call it a pretty film, just that it's visually inventive and constantly attention grabbing in a pleasing way. I think the director himself once said that the acting of Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt has a tendency to split audiences. Most people think one gives a great performance and the other one a weak, overly mannered one. I've previously thought Brad Pitt's acting was a bit fake and unconvincing. Over time I've grown to think he's good, not outstanding or anything, but appropriate for a mentally unstable person. The child actor during the airport scene is a minor weak link as he seems to be over-emoting like crazy with his eyes. He's not bad or annoying, he's just not note perfect. Logically the film is not one hundred percent watertight, though I doubt many, if any, time travel films ever are. There might be some holes, but the film is too good to be affected by them. Why don't they go further back in time and correct their own mistakes (the airport scene at the end throws up a few questions along this line)? A question like this is kind of pointless as it's simply more dramatic and poignant the way it is. This is one of my all time favourite movies. The script and direction are as good as any film I've ever seen. Bruce Willis gives his best performance and basically everything else about the film is either good or borderline perfect.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Modern Classic,
By
This review is from: Twelve Monkeys [DVD] [1996] (DVD)
This is without doubt one of the best sci-fi/time travel movies ever made. 12 Monkeys demands more from the viewer than your average movie.
The plot is intelligent, the acting is superb and it looks beatifully gritty. I never get tired of watching this film, it's a classic that constantly rewards the viewer with each subsequent viewing.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bring on the monkeys!,
By GeekZilla "He's the strongest, he's the quick... (Doncaster, Yorkshire, UK.) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 50 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Twelve Monkeys [DVD] [1996] (DVD)
For the first part of this film you'll be entertained and midly confused.
But the pieces slot into place and you see the full scope of what is being said, this goes from being a piece-by-piece jigsaw, to being a masterpiece! Bruce Willis plays a great part and is 100% believeable in the role. This film is best watched twice, on the second viewing you see references you may have missed the first time round, but seem obvious in hindsight. This is one of those films that stays with you after you've watched it, and rightly so.
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