12 Monkeys
released 1995
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“12 Monkeys” is an American, neo noir, sci-fi, distopian, action thriller based on the short film by Chris Marker called La Jeteé. It was produced by Charles Roven, Robert Cavallo, Robert Kosberg and Gary Levinsohn and was directed by Terry Gilliam. The screenplay and writing credits go to David Webb Peoples, Janet Peoples and Chris Marker. It stars a huge cast of talented actors that include. Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Chirstopher Plummer, David Morse, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Annie Golden, Thomas Roy, Joseph Melito, Jon Seda, Michael Chance, Vernon Campbell, Madeleine Stowe, H. Michael Walls, Bob Adrian, Simon Jones, Carol Florence, Bill Raymond, Ernest Abuba, Joey Parillo, Frederick Strother, Jann Ellis, Chuck Jeffries, Donald Faison, Tiffany Baldwin, Frank Gorshin, Rick Warner, Irma St. Paul, Bart the bear and many others.

12 Monkeys IMDb webpage

“12 Monkeys” is a story set in a distopian future where a deadly plague has forced humankind underground and placed humanity in dire straits. James Cole, played by Bruce Willis, is a man caught up in the justice system of this withering society and becomes a guinea pig for a project to repopulate the surface of the world. It is important to say that this society possesses a crude form of time travel. Cole´s mission is simple, besides being sent to the future for samples and reports, he is eventually sent back in time to find the origin of the plague and kill the person who spread it. During his visits back in time he encounters a mentally ill man named Jeffrey Goines, played by Brad Pitt, whom he suspects as the culprit along with his cult called the army of the 12 monkeys.

“12 Monkeys” is a great story and a great thriller with interesting ideas that come out of such a desolate and ruined world. It´s interesting to see the animals and nature have begun to reclaim the world when Cole goes to the surface. I thought that was funny. I also liked the seemingly outdated, steampunk technology involved in time travel. I have to point out the gaping flaw in the story when they introduced time travel, being that traveling back in time would not necessarily change the future as most people. It would have however created a better future for Cole.

This is another film that showed us a distopian future none of us would want with convincing realism. Cole was one of many people caught up in the lower echelons of that underground society for petty offenses andhe was railroaded into becoming a guinea pig.

“12 Monkeys” is a great watch. I highly recommend it.

John

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