La Jetee is better

Rating: Null/10 (21 August 2004)

To me this film was a bit of a disappointment. Definitely not a bad film but the feel of it doesn't seem to sit comfortably. For a start it's a rip-off of La Jetee (and this is admitted in the titles at the start). La Jetee was very artistic with no real pretentions to be any sort of adventure film. The Twelve Monkeys tries to be both and ends up being neither. You are led into believing this is has a solid, well thought out plot and then suddenly something really stupid happens. Well that's fine for an 'art' film but this just isn't imaginative enough to be one of those.
I think probably Terry Gilliam is trying to be something he isn't. The Time Bandits and especially Brazil were brilliant films simply because they weren't trying to copy anything. I'm eagerly waiting for his next film but meanwhile this one goes to the back of the drawer.