Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2722 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-09-20
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Full Screen, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 124 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée, 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality. Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the 1990s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. --Jeff Shannon

Special Features
Full Screen
1.85 Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
The Hamster Factor And Other Tales Of The Twelve Monkeys Documentary

Synopsis
When a man enters a hospital claiming to have journeyed back in time from the year 2025 to stop a killer virus from exterminating mankind, a beautiful psychologist decides he might be more than delusional. Terry Gilliam populates this labyrinthine, apocalyptic film with twisted characters and eerie revelations. The film was shot primarily in Philadelphia; Gilliam uses the more dilapidated area of the city to the film's apocalyptic advantage. The film is based on the 1962 French short film LA JETEE. The Signature Laserdisc includes a feature on the film's making.

Customer Reviews

Brucie at his best!
This flim is rightfully cited as one of the best sci-fi flims of the 90s. The acting is brilliant- it really explores the talents of Bruce Willis and brad Pitt in challenging roles. The plot is expertly exposed and is full of twists and turns, so that the viewer is unsure if the sci-fi elements of the flim are real of just in Cole's (Willis' character) head.
The only thing that annoyed me about this film is that the futuristic underground world is not explored as much as I would like. Despite this not being a 100% Gilliam flim- he took no part in writing the screenplay- he certainly left his mark.

Modern Classic
This is without doubt one of the best sci-fi/time travel movies ever made. 12 Monkeys demands more from the viewer than your average movie.
The plot is intelligent, the acting is superb and it looks beatifully gritty.
I never get tired of watching this film, it's a classic that constantly rewards the viewer with each subsequent viewing.

monkeys eh
This film was on the good ol' 'amazon reccomends' list. and at nearly a fiver it was worth a pop. In fact, i was absolutely bowled over by one of the best acting performances i've seen on film. Brad Pitt as the unquestionably derranged Jeffrey (sp.?) is far outside his 'comfort zone' of hollywood acting heroes/smouldering bandits/intelligent evil guys. The character requires depth, careful study and a little individual flare, all of which is bought perfectly together by his firm grasp of the character. Pitt gives Jeffrey certain gestic movements, which sets off the more observant character played by Willis.

Although the dvd commentry claims to have turned away from old Brucey's die hard image, theres definitely an element of you can't un-know knowledge in his fluency of beating certain minor characters. The commentry also comes gives the impression that the production team and se3nior staff working on the film credited themselves with it being more complex than it actually is. I think they were thinking matrix-style wtf stuff, but it's actually fairly straightforward if you read the dates in the sub-text.

It's the acting and some wonderful camera angles that really pull of this film. A CLEAR COLLECTORS MUST