This Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release from Arrow Video will be available for purchase (www.arrowvideo.com – www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo/) on October 30th.
I’m a little bit biased… I am a fan of director Terry Gilliam. His works, even the ones that don’t speak to me quite as much as others) are always filled with interesting themes, intriguing performances and impressive visuals. The filmmaker’s remarkable credits include Time Bandits (1981), Brazil (1985), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and the extremely underrated Tideland (2005). Terms like undervalued can be applied to several of his works, as it has often taken time for critics and audiences to appreciate many of his titles. It may be because of the particular brand of humor, unique voice and interpretive nature of his pieces.
One film that did impress critics and audiences from the very beginning was 12 Monkeys, aka Twelve Monkeys. Arrow Video are now presenting a new Blu-ray of the film that includes a dazzling 4K restoration of the picture from the original negative, along with numerous extras. This disc, including the movie itself and its supplements earn a very highly recommendation from this reviewer.
Based loosely on the French short film, La Jetée (1962), this feature is set in a grim future. The world has been ravaged by a virus that has wiped out much of humanity. Survivors have been forced underground, living in a dilapidated world of repurposed equipment. Violent, incarcerated prisoner James Cole (Bruce Willis) is assigned to enter a time machine and travel 39 years into the past to discover the source of the outbreak. Unfortunately, Cole is sent too far back and is institutionalized. There, he meets Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) and another hyperactive inmate named Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), who may hold a connection to the eventual outbreak. As this is occurring, Cole struggles with his own sanity as well as a strange, recurring dream.
It actually difficult to believe that Gilliam didn’t write the movie and was a director-for-hire for this Hollywood studio project, since it’s seems like something he would have dreamed up and contains many similar themes to his previous works. Particularly in examining the mental state of its characters. Traveling through time and being institutionalized causes the hero (and the audience) to question whether or not events are real. And over the course of story, the more rigid and logical Railly becomes convinced of Cole’s authenticity; this change radically challenges many of the ideas she believes in as a doctor. In fact, she begins to question her sanity as well.
This is a very dark tale with death and devastation around every corner, but the story never grinds to a halt or becomes depressing. Since its leads are on the run and attempting to avoid capture for much of the movie, there’s a constant feeling of tension and suspense. Not only that, but the movie manages to make the most of an amusingly dark streak of humor as the so-called unstable characters become sane and the forces of reason become irrational. It’s also fun to see the protagonists and supporting characters respond and react with shock and surprise to the bizarre things occurring around them.
The performances are exceptional as well. At this point in time, star Willis hadn’t really widened his range from being an action hero and this role gave him the opportunity to play a troubled, quieter and more introspective individual. The ending is far more pensive than one would expect from a picture starring the actor. Stowe is note perfect as well, changing from a straight-laced physician, to a hostage, and eventually fervent believer of Cole. This movie also marked an important role for Brad Pitt, playing an entertainingly unhinged patient at the mental institution.
The movie is exceptional and holds up just as well as it did during its original run. This new 4K restoration is equally incredible. The opening credits, which feature a monkey-themed logo spinning to a memorable accordion theme, look crystal clear and the movie itself appears noticeably sharper. There are always details to search for in the various backgrounds with this filmmaker, and the vastly improved picture allows viewers to really examine out the detailed futuristic sets and small elements in frame. This is a very fine-looking upgrade.
The disc includes a previously recorded commentary with Gilliam and a producer. The director is direct and honest about his experiences and the difficulties in making the film, which makes his observations all the more interesting and insightful. The real selling point is the inclusion of the fly-on-the-wall feature length documentary, The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of Twelve Monkeys. It’s one of the best behind-the-scenes docs ever made up to this point in history, showing the entire process of making the movie and not hiding anything from audiences. Interestingly enough, the film’s directors would also shoot the famous 2002 documentary Lost in La Mancha about Gilliam’s first failed attempt at shooting his script for The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.
There are fascinating moments like disagreements between Gilliam and star Willis about the lead character and well as a detailed account of the trouble the film faced after it was forced into undergoing test screenings for the studio. Remarkably, those test audiences disliked the feature, leading to discussions with the studio about dramatically changing the film. After great strife and bickering, the director made only minor alterations (toning down the romantic subplot between the leads by altering and subduing the score) and refused to make any other cuts as advised to him. Thankfully, it was a wise decision as it saved the eventual Oscar-nominated film from being completely gutted and rework due to the initial reaction.
Additionally, the disc contains a mountain of production design art, stills and publicity materials from the production. There’s also an interview with Gilliam recorded in 1996 shortly after the film’s release. It covers a lot of the same ground covered in the documentary and commentary track, but is still plenty of fun to listen to. And the disc includes an appreciation featurette in which author and Gilliam biographer Ian Christie adds more observations about the feature.
Science-fiction fans would be well-advised to pick up the newest Blu-ray of 12 Monkeys aka Twelve Monkeys. It’s an exceptional film that has aged well and continues to dazzle even today. Thanks to the 4K image quality, it also looks stunning. If you don’t own it already, this exceptional release is most assuredly worth picking up.