Not my kind of thing....

Rating: 6/10 (21 July 2012)

Obviously, a lot of people adore "Twelve Monkeys", as it's currently #180 on IMDb--placing it among the very best films ever made. While I recognize that it is an amazingly unusual plot (done before in the short French film "La Jetée"), it just isn't the sort of film that appeals to me--though I generally do like fantasy and sci-fi films. I guess the film's weirdness and very slow pace just didn't appeal to me--perhaps you'll love it.
Bruce Willis plays a criminal from the future who has been sent back in time to try to prevent a HUGE apocalyptic event in which most of the people on Earth will be wiped out in 1996. Now I NEVER understood why they put the entire future of mankind on a criminal nor did I understand why they just didn't send dozens or thousands back in time to make 100% sure the plague would not occur. Regardless, he arrives too early--back in 1990. And, unfortunately, he's seen as a crazy man and is sent to an asylum. There, he meets a goofy psychiatrist (are there any other type in films?!) and a real crazy guy (Brad Pitt). How will these three folks work together to either cause or prevent devastation? See this film if you want to know.
Aside from seeing Frank Gorshin in a very unusual role as the man running the asylum, not a lot appealed to me about this one. I didn't dislike the film--I just never felt all that interested. Part of this might be because I never liked "La Jetée"--part of it might be because Madeline Stowe's character seemed really hard to believe (sort of like Ingrid Bergman and her incredibly gullible character in "Spellbound"--another goofy female psychiatrist with no personal boundaries and a tenuous hold on reality). All I know is that I wanted to like this movie but didn't. However, I did respect that it tried to be different and quite complex. Worth a look, though I can't figure out exactly what everyone loves about this one.