I've watched '12 Monkeys' six times or more. It is surprisingly funny in places. Lots of weird characters perfectly cast. Bruce Willis is more "watchable" than in anything else he's done. The look on his face when he hears music on the car radio, wow. John McClane is nowhere to be found in this movie. Brad Pitt's lunatic performance is stunning. Madeline Stowe is the only normal person, but gets her world unraveled. If you like Gilliam's style, you'll love this intelligent and memorable film.

One of the best films of the 90s

Test audiences = the biggest threat to filmmaking next to the MPAA?

Saw the film last night, still trying to work out what to make of it. Haven't been so devastated by an ending in a long time. Certainly one of the best sci-fi films I've ever seen.

Fine choice! Mark's more passionate about cinema than some filmmakers.

Madeline Stowe and Bruce Willis are marvellous in this movie. Also the parallels to Vertigo are beautiful. But there's one thing Kermode forgot to mention. The film perfectly depicts the duality between all the reasons why humanity shouldn't exist and all the reasons why it should. Oh how beautiful it would be to extinct the human race and let nature reign again. But who would even be capable of recognizing this beauty, if it wasn't for mankind?

What I prefer in Twelve Monkeys is how enigmatic it really is. Gilliam does enjoy the surreal and it shines through in tonnes. Looper, on the other hand, is more straight forward and to it's benefit, too. Both films are very similar yet they both have each their strengths, the influence for Rian Johnson is definitely there but Looper stands resolutely by itself.

I always liked time travel and paradox stories. This is probably my fave on film.

Beautiful film, one of my favourites of all time- unbelievable. Fantastic choice Mr Kermode!

I'm so glad Mark mentioned La Jetee... it is indeed in the background of these other more recent movies

12 Monkeys is like an elegant physics theory. It is a work of great beauty. Always have insurance!

Great movie and a haunting score!

amazing film,I've always loved this! his best film imo.

I remember watching 12 monkeys for the first time in 1998 when I was 15 years old. I loved it, but perhaps did not understand it as much as was intended by Gilliam. I also remember seeing Fight Clubat the cinema in 1999 aged 17 and thinking that Brad Pitt carried many elements of the Jeffrey Goines character when playing Tyler Durden. Am I alone?

honestly I have seen 12 Monkeys and Looper and I really cant see a connection other than time travel and Bruce Willis. Looper I felt went for a more dark and gritty take on time travel and was purely more of a fun ride. 12 Monkeys on the other hand was more about ideas than time travel and made note of humans and their nature.

already an all-time fave of mine. good choice.

Great film

I remember watching the opening sequence and thought to myself "wow this is fxxking amazing!"...then later found out that it was inspired by Hitchcock's VERTIGO.

Great film, I've got it out from lovefilm at the moment, its my favourite Gilliam film. I didnt realise it was such a success financially.Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt are both excellent in it too.....

I watched it once ages ago and just couldn't decide if i liked it or not. Gonna have to give it another go.

Being a child of the 21st century I probably would have appreciated the plot of this movie more had I not seen many time-travelling titles . This was still a great film and easily one of Brad Pitt's best performances .

Willis lied to Gilliam telling him that he improvised the glass picking

so even Kermode was sold on the notion that this film was about time travel? ....

Why not show a still from the scene where the hamster is actually involved? The scene in the future of Cole drawing his own blood is where the hamster is, not where he is shackled to the floor in the holding sell of 1990.

Have you seen La Jetee?

Disappointing that you failed to mention Time Bandits, Dr. K. It's Gilliam's first film about time, death and madness (and religion, philosphy, reality, consumerism, imagination, etc)... And it's a better film than Twelve Monkeys (and I REALLY like Twelve Monkeys).

I didn't care for it.... *Munchausen* was the last film of his I really liked. I'd heard that making that and *Brazil* really messed him up. Judging by what he's made since then.....

"Looper was 12 Monkeys with more guns" RUBBISH!! 12 Monkeys was a great film "Looper" was garbage.

first

Dont like Brazil or Twelve Monkeys, their visual style is too mutch for me. Do not seem like reality. I like both Blade Runner however.

Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys should be top of your list of terrible performances in great films. Fortunately he’s not on screen for very long so doesn’t detract from it too much.