12 Monkeys

Plot synopsis:
A deadly virus released in 1996 wipes out almost all of humanity, forcing remaining survivors to live underground. A group known as the Army of the Twelve Monkeys is believed to be behind the release of the virus. In 2035, James Cole (Willis) is a prisoner living in a subterranean compound beneath the ruins of Philadelphia. Cole is selected for a mission, where he is trained and sent back in time to locate the original virus in order to help scientists develop a cure. Meanwhile, Cole is troubled by recurring dreams involving a foot chase and an airport shooting.
Cole arrives in Baltimore in 1990, not 1996 as planned. He is arrested, then hospitalized in a mental hospital on the diagnosis of Dr. Kathryn Railly (Stowe). There he encounters Jeffrey Goines (Pitt), a mental patient with fanatical views. After an escape attempt, Cole is sedated and locked in a cell, but he disappears moments later, and wakes up back in his own time. Cole is interrogated by the scientists, who play a distorted voicemail message which asserts the association of the Army of the Twelve Monkeys with the virus. He is also shown photos of numerous people suspected of being involved, including Goines. The scientists offer Cole a second chance to complete his mission and send him back in time. He arrives at a battlefield of World War I where he is shot in the leg, and then he is suddenly transported to 1996.
In 1996, Railly gives a lecture about the Cassandra complex to a group of scientists. At the post-lecture book signing, Dr. Peters (Morse) points out to Railly that apocalypse alarmists represent the sane vision, while humanity's gradual destruction of the environment is the real lunacy. Cole arrives at the venue after seeing flyers publicizing it, and when Railly departs, he kidnaps her and forces her to take him to Philadelphia. They learn that Goines is the founder of the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, and set out in search of him. When they confront him, however, Goines denies any involvement with the group and says that in 1990 Cole originated the idea of wiping out humanity with a virus stolen from Goines' virologist father (Plummer).
Cole convinces himself that he is insane, but Railly confronts him with evidence of his time travel. They decide to spend their remaining time together in the Florida Keys before the onset of the plague. On their way to the airport, they learn that the Army of the Twelve Monkeys was not the source of the epidemic; the group's major act of protest is releasing animals from a zoo and placing Goines' father in an animal cage.
At the airport, Cole leaves a last message telling the scientists that in following the Army of the Twelve Monkeys they are on the wrong track, and that he will not return. He is soon confronted by Jose (Seda), an acquaintance from his own time, who gives Cole a handgun and ambiguously instructs him to follow orders. At the same time, Railly spots Dr. Peters, and recognizes him from a newspaper photograph as an assistant at Goines' father's virology lab. Peters is about to embark on a tour of several cities that match the locations and sequence of the viral outbreaks.
Cole forces his way through a security checkpoint in pursuit of Peters. After drawing the gun he was given, Cole is fatally shot by police. As Cole lies dying in Railly's arms, she makes eye contact with a small boy—the young James Cole witnessing the scene of his own death, which will replay in his dreams for years to come. Peters, aboard the plane with the virus, sits down next to Jones (Florence), one of the scientists from the future.

Tags: murder

Review:
It surpassed any expectation I could have about it, although the beginning of the first season didn't look that promising (maybe it had a slow pace, maybe too little things were explained), oh well, the sequels surely are totally worth watching.
I saw that many people complained how they liked the 1995 movie but the tv series disappointed them and I think that they simply can't be compared, it started with the same concept but there are lots of differences and the show really went with the story on its own way.
If you want to watch something that has depth, well rounded characters, and a good story - this is the place to find it..
When I first started the show, I had really low expectations because I always felt if it was good it would be it's own original and unique thing and not an expansion of a movie of years past.
The only thing that it borrows from the movie so far is the general plot of people traveling back in time to stop a whole ending plague, and that's only the beginning, it has since becoming some thing so much more.Everything else is new, from the storyline to most of the characters and the direction of the plot.
The TV series starts out with the basic idea of time travel to stop a plague in the future, but it is so much more than that.
Over the years I have been a huge fan of Doctor Who, the reboot, Quantum Leap, Fringe, Sliders, Being Erica to name a few really good and entertaining time travel based themed shows.
The story line feels very thought out and not just thrown together, I am enjoying the changes they made to the "present" time it feels more realistic(not sure of how to describe it) than the 1995 movie.
I recently ran across it on Hulu and watched the entire show in a matter of a few weeks.I'm always careful when it comes to time travel in shows and movies because unless it is handled correctly, it can make the show/movie absolutely terrible and unbelievable.
Anyway SyFy is doing a good job in many shows and a TV show based on a blockbuster Hit movie is risky ,, but since the Pilot everything is working smoothly, the dates are attracting, the events and how things in 2016 will get messy , the Time traveling also was spot on.
People who have watched the movie by Terry Gilliam already know this story.
Some short stories by authors have been more successful than others, such as those penned by Stephen King - but I believe his work lends itself well to a visual interpretation.Although there are examples of movies successfully translated into television series such as the two espionage shows based upon the character named "Nikita" (first embodied by Anne Parillaud); I don't recall any other efforts in porting a story as self-contained and complete as Twelve Monkeys (I am willing to stand corrected on this score).
People who struggle with continuity in a story that jumps about through various time periods where the past is often a future event, it can be a confusing effort in keeping track of a linear accounting of events and character progressions.
Each time it appears we have gotten closer to knowing who has been responsible for destroying human civilization and why, we are introduced to a new turn of events which shatter our illusions of certainty.This short story however, having been subjected to an expansion well beyond its original intent does introduce moments when one becomes impatient for progress.
I also think that one can find themselves more easily lost in tracking events within the series well enough to follow along without losing interest in discovering where its destination may lead.The production values are solid, the writing is creative and clever, and the characters are well cast, acted, and scripted (with some familiar faces from the most recent Nikita series).
(Most of the main characters from the movie have been preserved, but the choice of recasting Brad Pitt's exceptional portrayal of a psychotically disturbed individual in a significantly altered form was an excellent decision.) All in all; for fans of this genre, I believe it is a worthwhile piece of entertainment which can pique curiosity, interest, and empathy while satisfying one's appetite for action-oriented imaginative drama..
I've always been a science fiction fan, and especially like time travel stories.
I think the cast is excellent: Aaron Stanford is low-key enough to be believable (to me, anyway); Barbara Sukowa is kind of a gem; Amanda Schull, maybe a little less believable than some of the others-especially her fighting skills; and my personal favorite, Emily Hampshire, who took over the Brad Pitt from the movie and brought it into a complete new realm,.
We're on the cusp of the last three episodes, and I'll be sorry to see it end, but it's never good to drag out shows longer than they should go, and I think this has hit its, er, time window.
This show is brilliant, the writing is phenomenal, and season 3 delivered blow after blow after blow of mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, flabbergasting twists and revelations.I am a sci-fi and a Syfy fan; I am particularly attracted to time travel stories, and though I loved season 1 and 2, season 3 took the story to the next level, completely writing its own path, distancing itself from the movie and standing on its own as a damn good sci-fi story.
In "12 Monkeys", he plays Leland Goines, a scientist being hunted by James Cole (Aaron Stanford, formerly on "Nikita")--who has been sent from thirty years in the future--for extermination.When Cole arrives in the past (2013), he meets Dr. Cassandra Railly (the amazing Amanda Schull, who was also in "Suits" and the film "Center Stage" ) and tries to convince her that he truly is from the future and that the Earth is in peril.The show does a great job of keeping the timelines understandable.
But where other stories try to avoid the time paradox, "12 Monkeys" embraces paradox and uses it as a plot point.With good characters, non-stop action, and an engaging story, this show promises lots of fun.Update at the end of the series: What a wild ride!
also as i had watched the movie ' 12 monkeys' so i thought hey i know the story and unless i have something new , something mysterious to watch and discover for in a show i don't give it a hit .
However you will want to plow through first season anyway for backstory.If you are a science fiction fan i urge you to keep watching, It is great writing and production in this series.
If you have seen the original movie, which is one of the best SF movies In my opinion, it is the same premise about a plague that wiped out 99 percent of the world and in the future a brilliant scientist creates time machine a sends a man named Cole back to our present to try and stop it.
I recommend that new viewers start watching from the pilot episode in order to acquaint themselves with the characters & the story lines.
Right away the series departs from the film by not questioning Cole's sanity and accepting the time travel elements as simply the truth, Something that was in my opinion one of the better aspects early on in the film.
While Aaron Stanford (Aka Pyro) isn't Bruce Willis he does alright with the less complex, more coherent version of James Cole, I can't blame the actor for the changes to the character that makes him feel kind of bland, hopefully as the series progresses we'll see a bit of a character progression and thus more of a chance for the actor to sink his teeth into the role.Emily Hampshire on the other hand is strong right out of the gate, following up Brad Pitt's portrayal of Jeffrey Goines isn't an easy task, but she pulls off the twisted character perfectly.
SPOILER ALERT: If you have not seen the original twelve monkeys, i will be discussing key differences between the original and this, so if you don't want me to ruin the original, go and watch it before reading this.This show is an intentional departure from the source material that deviates in about the same way as the bourne series, which is also a welcome departure from the original source material.
I understand that TV networks seems hellbent on selling Sci-Fi to women even though they bloody hate it, don't understand it and simply don't want it on their screens.I also realize that the series has to pan out the vapid and wafer thin story line to 13 episodes because 'more is better', when in fact it could have easily been made into a TV movie.Each episode just gets more and more juvenile, lazy and soapy.Do yourself a favor and if you REALLY love Sci-Fi, try the new and INFINITELY better Mr. Robot.
Because I liked the movie and because I read on here that a lot of reviewers thought this was the best show ever I thought it would be a good idea watching 12 Monkeys.
The first season I would give it a seven, because it's all new, you don't know what to expect yet, and it is mysterious like the movie was.
It feels like watching a low budget movie with bad actors.
I wasn't sure if they copied the scene from the movie in the first scenes, but they did.And swapped really good actors that played well written and likable characters into something that could come straight from scripted-reality TV, changed the dialogue into something more-trashy, maybe because they hope that -at least the Sharknado-fanbase will like it.Congratulations, SyFy, you drove another one straight into the ground (Anyone remember that "Flash Gordon" serial?
they basically need to go and troll some other show as they are probably the same people that nitpick shows based on a book, and complain the whole time about them not saying a certain word that was in the book.but in all honesty, I went into this already watching the original 12 monkeys, and DIDN'T expect it so be the same.
The problem with adapting such a well told story, a finely tuned plot and interesting characters with depth of persona is that you have to manufacture a good deal of plot to pad up the narrative; and boy have the started already.One of the easiest ways to pad up a program like this is to introduce three things: (A) Non-descriptive word(s), a love interest and a Delorian.
Don't watch this bilious fog of greed, unoriginality and sheer boorishness.I chose to turn this off mid-way through the second episode due to the actor who plays Goines, chewing up the scenery like a cartoon character out of Ren and Stimpy.
While my favorite by far was Cole, and I did feel like the story lines were strongest when they involved him, all of the main characters are fully fleshed out and hold importance to the plot.
it is based on the movie, but goes into a very different direction - new mysteries are introduced and very promising, should be able to keep us watching the with interest.excellent actors, different personas from the original and yet giving new life to this story.of course far far from the visage of Terry Gilliam, rather straight forward and yet, quite fresh.looking forward to how it will develop further.for now 9/10.
If you have not seen this series before watch season 1 and you be taken on a great ride.
Still, there were few that had a sparkle within them, a shining spread throughout the episodic medium of their plot and made an increasing interest in the characters' fate.As of this moment, after watching six episodes of 12 Monkeys with strict skepticism, I must admit I manage to notice a certain sparkle, one so tiny it can be disregarded by the untrained eyes.This show delves into many intriguing concepts regarding time travel smartly; it deals with the action revolving the process, the dilemmas that arise each time anew and the effects it has on the ones related to the phenomenon described in it, but most importantly, it has a good drama, that may expand to an extremely lovable one.I don't try to compare the scientific rules as they're presented in this show to the way they're described by modern science, for I don't think TV shows producers need to have a PhD in physics to make a good sci-fi materials.
A movie, as well as a TV show, ought to be smart so we can believe it and want to know more about it's story, and I am glad to say that as for this moment "12 Monkeys" is such a show, but whether it will keep following that track, only time can tell..
When the Peoples' did 12 Monkeys the Motion picture ; I thought "finally a Time travel movie I can dig" in the motion picture (I gave big 👍🆙 , by the way) one of the biggest problems was time constraints, (get it ha, ha,) so now you've got the SY FY version of events , I'm finishing the second season and am extremely impressed, I will continue l8r when I feel like it or somewhere when remember tomorrow⏰.
The episodes/series are well thought out and leaves you wanting more, more, more and more.Give the show a chance it will be worth your time.
Im not going to write a long review.Im just going to say: I loved 12 monkeys (movie) and while this series don't follows exactly the same plot or characters Ity looks really good to me...
other groups (like the 12 monkeys) seem to have a mayor role instead how they appear on the movie...But, to be honest, while they changed some things on the series, for me its even better, talking about the plot, the variety of situations and the time-travel paradoxes...
However, as every time-travel related show, there are a lot of things around the plot that cannot be reviewed until the show gets ended with all tied, but the logic while not perfect looks very good for the show.The only thing I cant be agree with the actual series its just the big change on the "scenography" one of the best things for me in 12 monkeys was the retrofuturistic setting, and the strange "time machine" working more like "the box on primer" than like the typical machine that "teleports matter in time and space"...
Of course its impossible you will understand the plot or enjoy the episodes if you don't like time-travel movies..
So I'm checking out the TV Series 12 Monkeys and from the start of the show it begins like the original movie.
I get that a lot of people are comparing this to the original movie, and I get the actor playing Cole isn't some hunk you want to watch week after week.
And I love how they travel through time there and back constantly and yet the whole story never stops making sense.
Obviously, shows are often using concepts from movies and because you have all the time in the world to build your story, you can do whatever you want with it.
Someone liked the idea of the '12 monkeys' movie and they thought this would make a good show about time travel and that's what they wrote.
In other series or movies about time travel the future changes, you start another timeline and you can't go in circles.
I have watched the first 3 seasons.This has been on my watch-list forever but with a show called the 12 Monkeys, a virus and time travel, I just could not get myself to press play thinking it will be another boring low budget sci-fi show with good intentions but zero grip.
Complexities of characters' "baggage" are also dealt with at the right pace.The story migrated a lot from the pilot by the end of season 3 and many of the roots of the travelers have been disturbed.
OK so, after I've seen the original movie a few times and after watching this show, all I can say is that the show is better than the original.
Best time travel series I've seen yet.
Just finished watching the last episode and it just confirmed what I knew since the first season, it is a really really good show..
This show gets better and better, there are things at the first season hidden that you would only understand by watching the whole series.
I enjoy a lot watching tv shows, wether it's for just having a bit of fun, or because I want to enjoy a great story, well written and with an excellent cast.
The writers, and every single person of the 12 Monkeys' team did an incredible job by giving us, as viewers, an excellent series in every aspect that a great show must take in mind: from a great cast, to a great story, to an incredibly enjoyable and believable scientific basis, to a perfect finale, that really got me satisfied.
Just finished watching the season 4 finale and realized the least I owe this awesome series is a review, my first one on IMDB.
12 monkeys overtook the movie its inspired from within the first season and moving forward got better and better before the epic finale as satisfying as the Breaking Bad. The finale has raised the Bar for any other time travel series to come.
I started watching this series after watching the good time travel move 12 monkeys.
Believe me I have watched two seasons and each episodes will give you good feeling of sci fi and time travels which will urge you to want more.
This is kind of series where a good time travel involved with so much potentials of jumping to past and future with the talented characters.