Thoughtful and ambitious, though flawed

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 1999)

Though unfortunately flawed by some mediocre acting, in particular Willis' woodenness and Pitt's overacting, "Twelve Monkeys" is a fine movie which, in addition to creating a dark and very suspenseful atmosphere, actually dares to introduce serious ideas. It may have more ambition than it can live up to, but that's better than too little. It's one of the only movies I know which actually considers what's involved in time travel and time paradoxes; and a much-too-rare example of genuine science fiction in film, where the designation "science fiction" usually means monsters-from-space or shoot-em-up-with-special-effects.