INSTINCT RATING: 6.5 / 10 --> So-so
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Seeing this movie's trailer, I wasn't sure whether this was a film about a man's love for monkeys, or an intense thriller pitting two of our best modern day actors against one another, a la THE NEGOTIATOR (7/10). It turned out to be a little bit of both, although the intensity of the thrills were at a much lower level than the man's love for his monkeys.
PLOT: A doctor who was lost in the African jungles for two years, and known to live side-by-side with gorillas, is found after he savagely murders two game wardens. Upon his return to the States, a young, career-minded psychiatrist is chosen to attempt to communicate with the man and understand his violent and anti-social behavior.
CRITIQUE: One part ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (7/10), one part THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (9/10) and one part GORILLAS IN THE MIST, one part SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (7.5/10), and one really big part TARZAN. This film offers very little in originality or thrills, but does manage to convey an effective loving relationship between the good doctor and the gorillas, and some superb acting on the part of the two lead actors. In fact, I think I would have been really bored were it not for the intense and believable portrayals of both characters. Anthony Hopkins plays an excellent doctor gone semi-loony who has us believing that a man of his intelligence could truly be taken in by a family of gorillas. Cuba Gooding's doctor Dooright character also meanders through every emotion flawlessly with all of his happiness, sadness, fear and cockiness creating a character to whom we can all relate and invest our emotion.
Were there enough twists in the plot? No, not at all. Pretty predictable. Were there any crazy monkey love-making scenes? Certainly not. But what this film does offer is a couple of great actors chewing down on some pretty tasty lines inside a plot which may resonate with some, in respect to its derogatory depiction of modern-day living, and society's over-emphasis on control, possessions, career and dominance. Now the lack of originality or action may have some of you returning to your ticket counter and demanding that they "Show you your money back!" (I'm sorry, but I just had to! :), but I quite enjoyed the performances in this film, and its oddly satisfying conclusion. Skip it if you're looking for an intense thriller or a sci-fi man-turns-into-a-gorilla vibe (ALTERED STATES (5/10) fans beware!), but check it out if you like either of the two leads or movies with monkeys in 'em!
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: Anthony Hopkins' role was originally slated for Sean Connery. He probably turned it down because he already sported that ugly, long, dirty grey haircut in THE ROCK (7/10). Being British, Mr. Hopkins was glad to have conquered his alcoholism in 1975. He stands 5'7". Cuba Gooding Jr's first big-screen role came as the "boy getting haircut" in Eddie Murphy's 1988 hit COMING TO AMERICA (8/10). He reportedly received only $32,000 for his breakthrough role in 1991's BOYZ IN THE HOOD (8/10), while pocketing around $2.5 Million for his part in this one. He stands 5'10", and was born in The Bronx, New York. He also appeared in four episodes of TV's "MacGyver" from 1989 to 1991. Director Jon Turteltaub went from directing such films as 3 NINJAS and COOL RUNNINGS to 1995's WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING and 1996's PHENOMENON. Believe it or not, the gorillas used in the film were not real. They all came from the wonderful world of Stan Winston's puppet Studio. This film was originally titled ISHMAEL, based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Quinn. The film credits this book as the piece from which its script was "suggested". Most of the jungle scenes were actually shot in Jamaica.
Review Date: May 29, 1999
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writer: Gerald DiPego
Producer: Barbara Doyle and Michael Taylor
Actors: Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Ethan Powell
Cuba Gooding Jr. as Dr. Theo Caulder
Genre: Thriller
Year of Release: 1999
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(c) 1999 Berge Garabedian
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