"Five billion people will die from a virus in 1997... the survivors will abandon the planet... once again the animals will rule the world." These are not only the excerpts from an interview with a paranoid schizophrenic, but they are also the words from which our movie begins. 12 MONKEYS is another astonishing feat pulled off by Mr. Terry Gilliam, former Monty Python member and creator of the also amazing TIME BANDITS, BRAZIL, and FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS! Though not as lighthearted and comical as his other movies, 12 MONKEYS keeps hold of Gilliam's always present visuals. Only, this time, they're not as fantasy based as his other flicks, but more surreal. Our story follows man-of-the-future, James Cole (Bruce Willis in one of his non-action zero roles), as he is sent from his future wardens to go back in time, secure a sample of the plague inducing virus, then bring it back to his superiors so an antidote can be made to help the remaining one percent of the populous. The only reason he's doing it is to get a reduced sentence from future prison though. When he gets sent back, the world of 1990 isn't exactly a good place for him to be, as his talk of time travel is written off as lunacy and he's thrown into a nice little padded room. At the asylum, he meets his fellow inmate Jeff Goines (Brad Pitt in one of his better roles). An interview with Cole (as seen in the movie's introduction) by his soon-to-be love interest Cathy, reveals that, in 1996 and 1997 5 billion people will die, leaving a only a scant 1% of the population left. Cole was sent back to find out the cause of the mass extinction, but not to "save the world", because messing with the time stream is bad, as taught to us in BACK TO THE FUTURE. Cole fucks up, as a distraction by Jeff wins him his freedom, but the misfit Cole is recaptured. Not to worry though, because his bosses from the future bring him back to their present (our future). But, thanx to their screw up in sending him back to 1990 instead of 1996. So, to finish the job, they send him back to the past (our present, though, technically, 1996 is still our past too...) of 1996, after a short lay over in World War I (where he has a quick face-to-face with a fellow time traveler and gets a cap in his ass too). In '96, he kidnaps his old pal Cathy, who is now a renowned author, and watches "Woody Woodpecker"... somehow the words "wood" and "pecker" sound right together, but wrong as one word... As I was saying, he kidnaps Cathy, then gives us a little more plot exposition, as he informs us that the "Army of the Twelve Monkeys", a radical group who has the future killing virus in it's purest form, is responsible and Cole's parole officers want him to grab a sample of it, so a cure can be made for the people of the future. Turns out that Cole's pal Jeff is the head of this ape army (giving Cole the credit for the idea, through what Cole told him back in 1990, during his nutcase days), who are a bunch of rich brat tree-huggers. Cole gets the sample, and is returned to the present/future once more. But, the hero in Cole kicks in, and he asks to go back to the past/present (despite his full pardon in the present/future) for more "research". Actually, he just has the hots for that Cathy chick and wants to save the world. Meanwhile, back in the past/present, Cathy finds evidence of Cole's story, when she sees a picture of him taken when he was at the WWI battle, as well as the bullet taken out of him. Now, the tables are turned though, as Cole begins to think himself that he's actually crazy and Cathy is the only one who believes him! Also, to complicate matters, the cops are after them (remember, Cole kidnapped her, despite what she says) and Cole has to beat up a pimp with a telephone and pull out his teeth... something about transmitters or something in the guy's fillings. Cole is finally convinced he's from the future though, when he receives a voice mail left by his bosses for him from the future... I guess. To hide out from the fuzz, Cathy goes blonde and Cole puts on a fake beard, and Cole's visions begin to come together. The whole "Army of the Twelve Monkeys" thing goes splat though, when we learn that they didn't cause the plague and the future was wrong. So, crisis averted and in need of a hiding place, Cath and Cole get tickets for Key West for a happy ending! This is brought crashing down however, when we find out that it's Jeff's dad who plans to set loose the virus! Cath and Cole happen to run into him at the airport they go to, and when Cole tries to stop Mr. Goines, he is shot down by the cops. This is an odd scene, because it makes sense of the visions Cole'd been having all throughout the flick, because Cole, as a child, watched his adult self get shot down at the airport.... creepy. Anyway, Mr. Goines escapes, but I think some other woman on the plane stops him or something... this part was never wrapped up. Great movie, well balanced by Mr. Gilliam's directing and David and Janet Peoples's writing. Great performance by Bruce Willis who shows us that shouting "Yippie-ki-yay Motherfucker" isn't his only talent, as well as Brad Pitt who shows us he was born to play the role of a paranoid schizophrenic! Probably why he was cast in FIGHT CLUB... My one problem with the flick though, was not the incomplete ending, but all the asses! Throughout the film, we are forced to sit through Pitt's dirty ass, as well as Willis's funky butt THREE times! Ack, gonna need to watch a LOT of lesbian porn to get over this...

Also Known As: Twelve Monkeys

Sequels: Nope

If You Liked This Flick, Check Out: TIME BANDITS or TIMECOP