The Island of Dr. Moreau Movie Review 1996

What were they thinking? Not even the frightening "manimals" could prevent the unintentional laughs from this abomination of the horrifying 1896 H.G. Wells novel. Brando's enormous presence as the mad scientist Moreau walks a tight rope between puzzling and campy, especially as he explains his ghastly DNA experiments on a remote Pacific to a miscast Thewlis. A wasted Kilmer is the doctors's right-hand hybrid who often seems to be acting in a different movie. Filming hit some big rocks when "creative differences" caused original director Richard Stanley to be replaced and Rob Morrow (originally the lawyer) to ask for his release. Previously filmed under the same title in 1977 and (terrifically) as "Island of Lost Souls" in 1933.

Distribution

New Line Home Video, 116 N. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048, Phone: (310)854-5811, Fax: (310)854-1824, URL: http://www.newline.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 91 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Mad Scientists, Island Fare, Wild Kingdom, Special FX Extravaganzas: Make-Up, Books to Film: H.G. Wells, Law & Lawyers, Genetics

Screenplay

Richard Stanley, Ron Hutchinson

Cast

Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, Fairuza Balk, Marco Hofschneider, Temuera Morrison, Ron Perlman

Cinematography

William A. Fraker

Director

John Frankenheimer

Music

Gary Chang

Other

Paul Rubell, Ian Gracie

Producer

New Line Cinema