Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers (WGA):

Chris Marker (film La Jetée)
David Webb Peoples (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

5 January 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The future is history.

Plot:

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

Plot Keywords:

Virus | Future | Monkey | Mental Institution | 1990s

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Joseph Melito	...	Young Cole
Bruce Willis	...	James Cole
Jon Seda	...	Jose
Michael Chance	...	Scarface
Vernon Campbell	...	Tiny
H. Michael Walls	...	Botanist
Bob Adrian	...	Geologist
Simon Jones	...	Zoologist
Carol Florence	...	Astrophysicist
Bill Raymond	...	Microbiologist
Ernest Abuba	...	Engineer
Irma St. Paule	...	Poet
Madeleine Stowe	...	Kathryn Railly
Joey Perillo	...	Detective Franki
Bruce Kirkpatrick	...	Policeman No. 1

Also Known As:

12 Monkeys (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS | Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Philippines:PG-13 | India:A | Brazil:14 | Italy:VM14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #34153)

Filming Locations:

Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Maryland, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Terry Gilliam gave Bruce Willis a list of "Willis acting clichés" not to be used during the film, including the "steely blue eyes look".

Goofs:

Continuity: The television in the sanitarium announces that the featured picture is the Marx Brothers' Monkey Business (1931), but the clip they show is from their first film, believed to have been removed, and replaced with; The Cocoanuts (1929).

Quotes:

[first lines]
James Cole: Jose - psst! Jose, what's going on?
Jose: Bad news, man
James Cole: Volunteers?
Jose: Yeah. And they said your name.
[pause]
Jose: Hey, maybe they'll give you a pardon, man.
James Cole: [sarcastic] Yeah, that's why none of the volunteers come back. They all get a pardon.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Alec Baldwin/Tori Amos (#21.11)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Woody Woodpecker Music

So you're telling me those people in the mental institution are... crazy?

Just kidding, I rented 12 Monkeys the other day because I am a huge Bruce Willis fan and I heard some things about the film. Some good and some bad, but it was one of those films you had to pay attention to every second, so I was a bit worried. Just because I felt like for a minute if this was going to be one of those films that I had to watch several times to get. But I watched it last night and I was really impressed, this movie had everything in it: action, drama, sci-fi, history, dark humor, and even a little romance. The actors all did a terrific job, I give a lot of credit to Bruce, during his scene in the car with his psychiatrist, he really got to me. But Brad Pitt, I'm just amazed with how much of a great job he did. He didn't over do his character, who was crazy, and just made it work and was extremely believable. The story was just scary, but very good and a wake up call.

James Cole is a man in the future where a virus broke out in the past and killed 5 billion people and only 1% of the population survived including him. Animals are now ruling the ground above while the humans are down below, but scientists send James to the past of 1990(really meaning to send him to '96), to find out about information of the virus. James gets put into a mental institution meeting his new psychiatrist, Dr. Kathryn Raily and another mental patient, Jeffrey Goines. He tells them the future, of course no one believes him, he goes back to the future. But the scientists send him back to the correct year to where the doctor is kidnapped by James, but he tells her more, and believes him. Now they are set on trying to prevent the virus from ever happening.

12 Monkeys was an incredible film. Like I said the story was so scary just because it's not at all hard to believe that we are not far from that happening. But the whole movie was just great, the cast, the sets, just the whole picture was a great one. It had a Terminator type of feel to it where we might loose something precious one day, ourselves if we don't listen to others. What is right and what is wrong? Who knows? But I would highly recommend 12 Monkeys, it's a great movie that if you give it the proper chance, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

9/10