THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1996 Michael John Legeros
(New Line)
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Written by Walon Green, Michael Herr, Ron Hutchinson, and Richard
Stanley, based on the story by H.G. Wells
Cast Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, Fairuza Balk,
Ron Perlman
MPAA Rating "PG-13"
Running Time 96 minutes
Reviewed at Carmike 7 Cinemas, Raleigh, NC (24AUG96)
==
The third screen adaptation of H.G. Wells' century-old novel is the worst of two warring worlds: it's neither suspenseful enough to be scary nor outrageous enough to qualify as a camp classic. Marlon Brando is well-cast as the mad scientist who lives on a remote South Pacific island, where he can experiment on animals and play God in peace. Brando plays the part as a continuation of his Kurtz character from APOCALYPSE NOW, turning every scene of his into an intentional exercise in absurdity. His jaw-dropping late arrival-- wearing chalky white make-up under a billowing white muumuu, among other odd accouterments-- will be long-remembered by film scholars. And has the summer seen a stranger sight than that of Brando behind a piano, playing excerpts from "Rhapsody in Blue" to a roomful of mutant monsters? As the mad scientist's mad assistant, Val Kilmer rivals with a doped-up performance that's almost as audacious. (Stay awake for a dead-on impersonation of the big guy, which Val delivers toward the end.) Alas, nothing else in this movie even comes close to working the way it should. The human elements never connect, the animal actors look ridiculous, and any affecting social commentary is saved for the last sixty seconds.
Grade: C-
--
Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC
legeros@nando.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w)
Visit me in MOVIE HELL
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