The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)

User Rating:

4.0/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers (WGA):

H.G. Wells (novel)
Richard Stanley (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

23 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Through DNA experimentation Dr. Moreau has upset the balance of nature. By turning animals into humans, he's turned heaven into hell.

Plot:

After being rescued and brought to an island, a man discovers that it's inhabitants are experimental animals being turned into strange looking humans, all of it the work of a visionary doctor.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Control | Slavery | Shot To Death | Goth

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

David Thewlis	...	Edward Douglas
Fairuza Balk	...	Aissa
Ron Perlman	...	Sayer of the Law
Marlon Brando	...	Dr. Moreau
Val Kilmer	...	Montgomery
Marco Hofschneider	...	M'Ling
Temuera Morrison	...	Azazello
William Hootkins	...	Kiril
Daniel Rigney	...	Hyena-Swine
Nelson de la Rosa	...	Majai
Peter Elliott	...	Assassimon
Mark Dacascos	...	Lo-Mai
Miguel López	...	Waggdi
Neil Young	...	Boar Man
David Hudson	...	Bison Man

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence, horror and gore involving mutant creatures.

Runtime:

96 min | USA:99 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Indonesian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | Iceland:16 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34098) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 (w) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | UK:12 | USA:Unrated (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Australia

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Walon Green did some uncredited contributions to the Ron Hutchinson draft of the screenplay when John Frankenheimer took over as director.

Goofs:

Continuity: Montgomery's shirt, when he is ripping pages out of a book, is blue. However, When Azazello takes the gun from his hunting vest, his shirt is white

Quotes:

Edward Douglas: [closing narration] This is a true record of what I saw. I set it down only leaving out the longitude and latitude of the island, as a warning to all who would follow in Moreau's footsteps. Most times, I keep the memory far in the back of my mind, a distant cloud. But there are times when the little cloud spreads...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "South Park: Red Sleigh Down (#6.17)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Night Bird

Unredeemable Turd

Don't listen to the apologists--with all due respect to Stan Winston's special effects (which were very good but wasted in this film), this was excruciatingly awful. The people who construct defenses of this film by referring to the message and admittedly interesting premise seem to forget that you don't need to watch this film to get either, since there are two other film versions and (whoa!) a classic novel as well. In other words, there's no reason whatsoever for this waste of celluloid to have been released on an unsuspecting public...or even for it to have been made in the first place.

"OK, wise-guy--what's so bad about it, then?" Everything except the costumes. This was Brando's return to the full-blown inmates-running-the-asylum lunacy of Apocalypse Now, except there's precious little talent involved (save Brando's own long-squandered acting chops) or anything resembling an artistic vision to guide the horrible mess. What we get instead is a morbidly fascinating ego pile-up fueled by drugs and chaos--and did I mention that it's ineptly edited as well? You could start a whole new drinking game based on the inexplicable lingering blank looks, awkward pauses, and perplexing continuity gaps. Every time something happens that makes no cinematic sense whatsoever, shout "WTF?!?" and down another shot. At least that way, you'll pass out halfway through the movie and spare yourself "the horror" of watching the rest.

"OK, wise-guy--how about some examples?" Fine. What's with Kilmer doing his freaky Brando impersonation when his character temporarily takes over the island? It would almost make sense except that it's Brando's Godfather character that he's doing(!). Why didn't anyone on-set have the cajones to tell Brando to quit f***ing around and take the g-ddam champagne bucket off of his head during the "stupid hat" scene? Why do the occasional chase scenes lack any suspense or excitement and just sort of end? Why do all the actors seem like they're completely blitzed on quaaludes and heroin? The inevitable impression one takes away from this movie is that no one was in charge, and the resulting film feels like watching a grown-up kindergarten populated by furry things who are all amped up on superhuman quantities of narcotics...and did I mention that the teacher's called in sick? Spare yourself. If I could give it a zero, I would--there are lots of movies on the IMDb "100 Worst" list that I'd much rather watch than this thing. Ugh. Poor Frankenheimer...