Monkeys (12 ) Movie Review

Forty years after a plague wipes out 99 percent of the human population and sends the survivors underground, scientists send prisoner James Cole (Bruce Willis) to the 1990s to investigate the connection between the virus and seriously deranged fanatic Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), whose father happens to be a renowned virologist. Director Terry Gilliam's demented vision is a bit tougher and less capricious than usual, and the convoluted plot and accumulated detail require a keen attention span, but as each piece of the puzzle falls into place the story becomes a fascinating sci-fi spectacle. Pitt drops the pretty-boy image with a nutzoid performance that'll make revelers stop swooning in a heartbeat. Inspired by the 1962 French short La Jetee.

1995 (R) 131m/C Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, David Morse, Frank Gorshin, John Seda; D: Terry Gilliam; W: David Peoples, Janet Peoples; M: Paul Buckmaster. Golden Globe Awards ‘96: Best Supporting Actor (Pitt); Nominations: Academy Awards ‘95: Best Costume Design, Best Supporting Actor (Pitt). VHS MCA