superb film

Rating: Null/10 (20 July 2002)

From reading the comments on this site, it seems like you either love or hate this film, and for that reason alone it's worth watching!! I, for one, loved it: I've never been a fan of Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt or sci-fi fantasy films but this movie transformed my opinion of all three.
The plot is complex and requires a great deal of concentration; don't be surprised if you find yourself repeatedly thinking 'What the hell is going on?' during the first half of the film. But there's never a dull moment and the dream sequence alone is enough to sustain interest. Each time you watch it, you pick up on something new, such as the parallels between Cole's 'past' and 'present'; the detail in the film is what makes it so special. The acting is great all-round; Bruce Willis is brilliant as James Cole, a man battling with insanity as he travels through time in an attempt to save the human race from annihilation. Brad Pitt is disturbingly hilarious as the deranged leader of the 'Army of the Twelve Monkeys' but gets some of the best lines of the film: 'Wiping out the human race? That's a great idea, it's great, but more of a long-term thing; first we have to focus on more immediate goals.' Last but definitely not least is Madeleine Stowe, an underrated actress who surely puts in one of the finest performances of her career here as Kathryn Railly, Cole's psychiatrist who is forced into questioning her rational outlook on life.
The only gripe I have about 'Twelve Monkeys' is the music which can occasionally be rather irritating, taking on a cartoon-like quality which ruins the scene it accompanies (eg. when Kathryn attacks James after he's locked her in the boot of the car). Nevertheless, this has got to be one of my favourite-ever films and the tragic, moving end sequence is simply beautiful.