In 2035 the surface of the earth is so fucked by a virus that the remaining humans are forced to live underground in a steampunkish world of gears, hoses, goggles and random gauges. Despite the fact that everything looks like the inside of a WWII submarine, they've somehow developed a rudimentary form of time travel. Prisoner Bruce Willis is "volunteered" to go back to 1996 to follow up on some clues mysterious about the source of the virus. But, since this is a rough science, they accidentally send him back to 1990 (instead of 1996) and he's promptly tossed in an insane asylum. There he meets sexy doctor Madeleine Stowe and fellow crazy inmate Brad Pitt (you know he's crazy because he moves his fingers a lot). Maybe this is where the idea for it all started because when Bruce mentions humanity being stuck down by a virus it peaks the interest of Pitt, who's father just happens to own a laboratory capable of creating a deadly virus. As Willis is whisked back and forth throughout time he begins to question his own sanity.
I remember seeing TWELVE MONKEYS opening weekend in the theater and liking it. Watching it again now for this review, the special effects haven't aged well, but it's still an interesting story. Solid performances by Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe, standard Terry Gilliam visuals that would have looked better with a higher budget, time travel elements we've seen better elsewhere, David Morse going incognito with a long orange ponytail and a bright yellow jacket, cinematography by Roger Pratt who also did BRAZIL. Worth a watch.
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