Intriguing story, lackluster execution

Rating: 5/10 (12 October 2015)

In 2027 James Cole is a prisoner living beneath the streets of Philadelphia with some of the very few survivors of a virus which wiped out most of humankind back in 1996. Somehow these people living under the streets have invented time travel. OK then. The scientists in charge send Cole back to 1996 to collect information on the virus in order to develop a cure. Why, if you have time travel capabilities, the focus is on finding a cure for the few people alive in 2027 rather than stopping the virus from wiping out the species in the first place is not particularly clear. Anyhow Cole's mission gets off to a bad start when he ends up in 1990 rather than 1996 and immediately finds himself placed in a mental institution. This is all very weird. It's about to get much weirder.
Cole ends up jumping back and forth in time, quite befuddled by the whole experience. Anyone watching this film will also feel that sense of befuddlement. It's certainly an intriguing story but one which director Terry Gilliam never really got a firm grasp on. The film ends up being a bit of a disjointed mess. You're drawn into the story but ultimately end up lost in this movie's complex maze. Bruce Willis turns in a solid performance as Cole. He's solid and reliable, giving this film which threatens to veer out of control some desperately needed grounding. Brad Pitt is the other big star. He plays Jeffrey Goines who is one of the craziest crazies in the institution. Pitt plays the part with wild-eyed manic enthusiasm. The effect is quite jarring. Yes, Jeffrey is supposed to be crazy but this is some serious overacting on Pitt's part. Madeleine Stowe plays the female lead, Kathryn Railly, Cole's doctor at the institution. Cole pops in and out of her life. Initially she thinks he's nuts but as she processes new information she may have to re-evaluate that position. Unfortunately the chemistry between Willis and Stowe is lacking, the relationship between their characters falls rather flat. And as their relationship becomes more important in the story that becomes a big problem for the movie.
Ultimately 12 Monkeys is a rather frustrating film. It has an intriguing premise but the story does not play itself out in a very satisfying way. Things get muddled pretty quickly and the story twists itself into some confusing knots. The film tries to spring some surprises but telegraphs some of its twists way too soon, which is part of the reason the ending is not nearly as powerful as Gilliam would hope. Meanwhile Gilliam's assortment of visual tricks throughout serve no purpose other than to distract and annoy. Stowe's performance lacks energy, Pitt's has too much energy. Christopher Plummer is underused. Willis does a fine job but too much of what surrounds him disappoints. For all the jumping back and forth in time the film is rather slowly paced. The story may interest you but there really is not much in the way of entertainment. You would imagine a story such as this would be full of exciting moments but excitement is in very short supply. 12 Monkeys held great promise but in the end that promise is not fulfilled.