Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt

Probably Gilliam’s most easily approachable film, 12 Monkeys is a science fiction classic, and if you claim to like anything about the genre, you absolutely have to see this one. It’s the law. APE LAW!

In the near future, mankind has been almost totally wiped out by a virus released in 1997, and the only way humans will be able to reclaim the surface of the world from wild animals is by finding a cure. For that, a group of scientists have developed a time machine that would allow someone to be sent back to 1997, before the virus is released, and obtain a sample of the original, unmutated disease. Unfortunately, the only clues they have are that there’s graffiti claiming that the “army of the 12 monkeys” had something to do with it, so to find out more information they send back James Cole (Willis), a prisoner.

Cole, with the help of a psychiatrist (Stowe), must discover the secret of the army of the twelve monkeys led by an insane man (Pitt) and find a sample of the virus so the scientists in the future can reclaim humanities rightful place in the world.

12 Monkeys joins a select few films in actually doing time travel well. Instead of obnoxious paradox after stupid plot twist, this film acknowledges that you can’t change the past. Instead of trying to save the five billion people who die, all Cole can do is hope to find out where the virus came from. During his trips, he begins to lose touch with what’s really real and begins to believe that he’s as crazy as the people in the past say he is.

This is another Terry Gilliam film, and it’s very obvious. The art direction of the scientific equipment in the future is very reminiscent of the steampunk-esque world in Brazil, but toned down enough that it’s believable that it’s only thirty or so years from now. The straightforward and yet still very interesting story compliments Gilliam’s directing perfectly, making this two hours you can’t look away from the screen. Like I said, this film is more than worth seeing. Hell, you should see it several times. Just because.