Many years ago, I read Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde". While I was familiar with the story, I also noticed that it was quite a bit different from other versions I'd seen on film. However, some of the films were much closer to the Stevenson novel than others....and about the least similar is this made for TV film from 1990. Now saying it's very different does NOT mean it's a bad movie...it's just quite a bit different.
In this reworking of the original, by the time the film begins, Dr. Jekyll has already perfected his formula which turns him into Mr. Hyde. He also has apparently already committed a variety of atrocities. New to the story is a backstory about a dead wife, an angry father-in-law as well as a hot sister-in-law (Cheryl Ladd) who wants Jekyll in the worst way! What's next? See the film.
There are two wonderful things about the film. First, the transformation scenes are truly amazing...especially for a made for TV film. Second, Michael Caine is a wonderful actor and was lovely in the lead.
What is there to not like? Well, not much other than the familiarity of the story (there have been so many versions) and the unfamiliarity of the story (folks might recognize that the film deviates a LOT from the book). Overall, however, the good easily outweighs the bad...and it's worth seeing. It's currently on YouTube in case you want to find it.
In this reworking of the original, by the time the film begins, Dr. Jekyll has already perfected his formula which turns him into Mr. Hyde. He also has apparently already committed a variety of atrocities. New to the story is a backstory about a dead wife, an angry father-in-law as well as a hot sister-in-law (Cheryl Ladd) who wants Jekyll in the worst way! What's next? See the film.
There are two wonderful things about the film. First, the transformation scenes are truly amazing...especially for a made for TV film. Second, Michael Caine is a wonderful actor and was lovely in the lead.
What is there to not like? Well, not much other than the familiarity of the story (there have been so many versions) and the unfamiliarity of the story (folks might recognize that the film deviates a LOT from the book). Overall, however, the good easily outweighs the bad...and it's worth seeing. It's currently on YouTube in case you want to find it.