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12 Monkeys (Special Edition)
Product Group: DVD
Studio: Universal Studios
ISBN: B0007PALZ2
UPC: 025192545221
Binding/Media: DVD
Running Time: 129 minutes
Release Date: 2005-05-10
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
After the world's population is devastated by a killer virus, Cole volunteers to travel into the past to obtain a pure virus sample, thereby helping s
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Amazon.com essential video
Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée (which is included on the DVD Short 2: Dreams), 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality. Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the '90s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. --Jeff Shannon
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Amazon.com
Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée (which is included on the DVD Short 2: Dreams), 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality. Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the '90s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. --Jeff Shannon
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Customer Reviews
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avoid this movie
Rating  (1)
Date: 2010-08-13
0 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
I was searching through Amazon for some different kind of movies to watch - saw this had almost 5 stars - WHY ?! The acting is fine and Brad Pitt plays a great insane person, but the movie itself is HORRENDOUS. And I wasted 2 hour of my life (2:05 to be exact) to watch Bruce Willis time jump a bunch of times to build up a somewhat complicated plot spoiler alert!!!) just to see him FAIL TO STOP THE VIRUS IN THE END ?! So what was the point of making the movie ? This was worse than just having the bad guy win, the entire plot for the first 2 hours of the movie was to build up on how they were going to stop it, just to see in the end - they don't ?! AVOID THIS MOVIE AT ALL COST.
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One of my favorites
Rating  (5)
Date: 2010-08-03
This movie has always intruiged me. The beginning of the movie is also the end. Classic Monty Python off the wall story. Both Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt do a marvelous job. Plus, it is partially set in Philadelphia.
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One Hour Enough
Rating (1)
Date: 2010-07-05
1 out of 34 customers found this reveiw helpful
I only watched one hour of this movie. After an hour, I stopped it and tossed it into the garbage. It was long enough for me to realize that I just didn't care about the story; I didn't care about the characters; I hated the background music (it was annoying, repetitive--I'm sure there was an artsy reason for making it this way); there was not one scene, not one thread in the film that made me want to know what was going to happen. I didn't even think the acting was all that good. I wanted to like this film, but it was just a waste of time.
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12 monkeys, Brad pitt and more
Rating (5)
Date: 2010-05-17
0 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
engrossing in many respects - time travel, big brother, end of the world as we know it, bruce willis and mr pitt at his very very best. 6 stars if poss!
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The Crown Jewel Of Time Travel Films
Rating (5)
Date: 2010-05-11
4 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
Currently, the topic of "time travel" is all the rage these days due to the incredible mind of JJ Abrams and a little show (you may have heard of it) called LOST. However, unless you hold a degree in quantum physics and can wrap your head around such concepts as Schrodinger's Cat or the Many-Worlds theory, the concepts that LOST throws around may be a bit overwhelming and a little frustrating. Fortunately, "12 Monkeys" provides what LOST cannot: a mind-bending time-travel plot that is both intellectually stimulating, yet easy enough to understand if one just pays close attention.
The basic plot of the film centers on James Cole (Bruce Willis), a prisoner from "the future" (1997; where all surviving humans now live underground due to an apocalyptic event), who is sent back in time to try and gather information to prevent the catastrophe. While skipping through time, Cole meets two people, Dr. Railly (Madeleine Stowe) and mental patient Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), who ultimately prove crucial to his mission of saving humanity from an underground existence.
The brilliance of this film is that, although most time-travel plots are either overwhelming (LOST) or too simple (think Star Trek episodes), director Terry Gilliam manages to find the perfect mix. Upon completion of viewing, I was quite certain that I understood what had just transpired (a feat never to be overlooked when dealing with time-travel). Only after some auxiliary study did I begin to consider some alternate interpretations, none of which cheapen that original reaction in any way.
The acting is also very solid, with Willis progressing the Cole character very nicely (from completely lost--like the viewers--to informed and ready for action), Pitt turning in a good show as the manic Goines, and Stowe portraying the "straight gal" who, like our minds, must be convinced that all of this is really happening.
Thus, I would recommend "12 Monkeys" to any and all fans of science fiction, mystery, suspense, and action films for its ability to strike the right balance between mind-stimulating material and utter confusion. Plus, it is a film that can easily be viewed multiple times, as little tidbits can be picked up each time through.
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Retail Price: $12.98
Amazon.com's Price:$1.68
That's 87% Off!
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