The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)

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.

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

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

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis

1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marlon Brando	...	Dr. Moreau
Val Kilmer	...	Montgomery
David Thewlis	...	Edward Douglas
Fairuza Balk	...	Aissa
Daniel Rigney	...	Hyena-Swine
Temuera Morrison	...	Azazello
Nelson de la Rosa	...	Majai
Peter Elliott	...	Assassimon
Mark Dacascos	...	Lo-Mai
Ron Perlman	...	Sayer of the Law
Marco Hofschneider	...	M'Ling
Miguel López	...	Waggdi
Neil Young	...	Boar Man
David Hudson	...	Bison Man
Clare Grant	...	Fox Lady

Storyline

Set in the year 2010, Dr. Moreau has successfully combined human and animal DNA to make a crossbreed animal. Well, as usual, something goes wrong and David Thewlis must try to stop it before it is too late. Originally rated R, but cut by Frankenheimer to allow "a wider audience".

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Plot Keywords:

island | experiment gone wrong | muu muu | goth | homosexual subtext | 

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Taglines:

On a remote ISLAND in the South Pacific, the balance OF nature has been upset by the experiments of DR. MOREAU... with the key of science he's unlocked the gates of hell.

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Genres:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Indonesian

Release Date:

23 August 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

La isla del Dr. Moreau

Filming Locations:

Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

JPY 295,581,200 (Japan) (15 November 1996)

Gross:

JPY 338,920,000 (Japan) (22 November 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 99 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During filming, David Thewlis fell off a horse and broke his leg.

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Goofs

When Edward Douglas is rescued from the life-raft the shadows in the life-raft seem to indicate a different time than would be indicated by the position of the sun behind the rescuing boat. In fact if, as is implied, he can see the rescuing boat, the sun is in two completely different positions in the sky.

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Quotes

Montgomery: Well, things didn't work out. Moreau wanted to turn animals into humans and humans into gods. But it's instinct and reason, instinct and reason. What's reason to a dog?
Azazello: To hunt. To kill, master. To run with the pack.
Montgomery: I wanna go to Dog Heaven!
[Azazello shoots Montgomery]

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Connections

Spoofed in South Park: Cartman Joins NAMBLA (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Night Bird"
by Deep Forest

User Reviews

Fascinating mess of a movie

David Thewlis, looking like he's wandered in from another film, is totally miscast in this much-troubled version of the HG Wells classic.

After being rescued by toothy vet Val Kilmer and taken to the eponymous location, our Mancunian UN hero comes across cat girl Fairuza Balk and the balloon-like doc (Marlon Brando), all pasty-faced and with an Ealing comedy accent.

Marlon hasn't just been doing beached whale impressions on this exotic isle. You see, mad old Moreau has been messing around with gene-splicing and has created a race of humanoid beasts - courtesy of effects whiz Stan Winston.

He controls them with electric shock implants and is so taken with his work, has little other defence when the beasts inevitably start running wild. In essence, it all goes a bit Jurassic Park.

There are a few good points in this mish mash. A stunning opening titles scene - very necessary considering the lack of any adventure for the first 10 minutes; Thewlis' extraordinary presence; and an okay finale. In fact, any scenes without Brando and Kilmer are quite fascinating. This is partly down to the Richard Stanley screenplay which boasts some flashes of brilliance amid much re-worked studio editing and re-jigging.

This is one of those films where the making of the movie is perhaps more intriguing than the final product. Stanley, the film's original director, was fired and banned from the set. He actually went back, dressed up as a dog man extra, and watched the rest of the production unfold. Had he been allowed to finish his directing chores and had final cut, the result would probably have been a thousand times better.

However, John Frankenheimer does a fair job under the circumstances.