November 17, 2005
Twelve Monkeys is a haunting and quirky movie - one of Terry Gilliam's - and Bruce Willis's - best. Willis is sent back in time to prevent the so-called Army of the Twelve Monkeys from unleashing a virus which wiped out civilisation (in the future). Aptly, for a ravaged future, their technology is dodgy and he's sent back too early and is locked up as mentally unstable. Rescued and shot back correctly, psychiatrist Madeleine Stowe recognises her former patient. But will she believe him and will Willis find the Monkeys? And what's the significance of his child's eye premonition? Head-swoopingly plotted, Twelve Monkeys is an exciting race against time, within Time. Based on a 1962 short, La Jetée, this is one take on time travel you could actually believe. Stick with it and this unravels into a satisfying climax, which manages to be both surprising and inevitable. A fantastic film, in every sense of the phrase.