The movie keeps switching focus without ever getting its bearings, and when Brando exits earlier than expected, there's little but mayhem to fall back on.
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:30
Fresh:7
Rotten:23
Average Rating:4.3/10
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Marlon Brando stars as the scientist in the third adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic. The archetypal mad scientist, the good doctor has been conducting a number of experiments in his remote... Marlon Brando stars as the scientist in the third adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic. The archetypal mad scientist, the good doctor has been conducting a number of experiments in his remote island kingdom, producing a race of genetic mutants both man and beast in his quest to produce a superior creature. The mutants treat Moreau as a virtual god, carrying out his orders with blind obedience. To deal with the few rebels, the scientist has embedded electrodes under their skin through which he can induce a degree of pain sufficient for his purpose. A plane crash-lands on the island, and the only survivor, U.N. negotiator Edward Douglas (David Thewlis), is taken to Moreau's compound by the doctor's demented assistant, Montgomery (Val Kilmer), where he's soon imprisoned. Shocked by Moreau's experiments, Douglas desperately seeks escape but is badly outnumbered by the army of mutants. At length, the creatures discover how to remove the controlling devices from their bodies and attempt a rebellion, but it soon becomes clear that their collective intelligence was not increased by their physical transformation. This film became an instant camp classic, the result of a troubled production on which John Frankenheimer replaced the original director after only a day of shooting. The fine camerawork of veteran William Fraker stands out above all else. [More]
Starring: Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, Fairuza Balk
Starring: Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, Fairuza Balk, Ron Perlman, Nelson De La Rosa, William Hootkins, Marco Hofschneider
Director: John Frankenheimer
Director: John Frankenheimer
Screenwriter: Richard Stanley, Ron Hutchinson
Producer: Edward R. Pressman, Tim Zinnemann
Composer: Gary Chang
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Release:
Sep 6, 2005
Reviews for The Island of Dr. Moreau
There's the obese Brando pretending to be God while dressed in gauzy white robes like a demented pope
The most exciting characters are killed off too early, and what we’re left with is a Satan’s “Seasme Street.”
In its final third, the movie goes to hell in more ways than Frankenheimer intended.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
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