Twelve Monkeys

Details

By 2035, a deadly virus has wiped out almost the entire population, forcing the few remaining survivors to live beneath the Earth's surface. Convict James Cole is selected to travel back in time in the hope of discovering how the plague began and gathering information that may one day help scientists develop a cure.

The journey does not go according to plan, however, and Cole repeatedly arrives in the wrong time periods before eventually finding himself in the early 1990s. Branded insane, he is committed to a psychiatric hospital where he encounters fellow patient Jeffrey Goines and psychiatrist Dr. Kathryn Railly.

As Cole continues his search for the mysterious Army of the Twelve Monkeys, Railly slowly begins to question whether his extraordinary story might actually be true. Together they race to uncover the source of the virus before history repeats itself.

Picture & Sound

The picture quality is outstanding. Bright colours, excellent shadow detail and an exceptionally high bit-rate combine to produce a wonderfully crisp transfer with virtually no artefacting or edge enhancement. This is exactly the sort of presentation we've come to expect from DVD at its very best.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is equally impressive. Dialogue is among the clearest I have heard, while the surround channels are in almost constant use, creating an immersive soundscape filled with traffic, crowds, animals and environmental effects. It may not be an action film, but this is reference-quality audio.

Menu & Extras

Although the extras are few in number, the excellent 87-minute The Hamster Factor documentary more than compensates. It provides a fascinating look behind the scenes at Terry Gilliam's production and is one of the most enjoyable making-of documentaries currently available on DVD. Personally, something like this is worth a thousand picture galleries.

Overall

Twelve Monkeys is one of Bruce Willis' finest performances and a wonderfully intelligent piece of science fiction. Throughout the film you're never quite sure whether James Cole is genuinely travelling through time or simply suffering from delusions, and Terry Gilliam constantly leaves you questioning everything you see.

Brad Pitt deservedly received enormous praise for his manic performance as Jeffrey Goines, while Bruce Willis delivers a far more restrained performance than audiences had become accustomed to. The film demands your attention from beginning to end, rewarding viewers with a story that remains intriguing long after the credits have rolled.

The ending alone is enough to send you round in circles trying to work out the paradoxes involved, and that's one of the film's greatest strengths. Clever, atmospheric and beautifully presented on DVD, this is an outstanding release and one that deserves a place in every science fiction collection. Buy it.

Special features

• The Hamster Factor Documentary