Director Richard Franklin is a bit of a Hitchcock borrower. He wrote and directed the sequel to Psycho, wrote and directed the Hitchcockian Road Games, and here he tries out a Hitchcock style thriller about a lone woman trapped in a maze-like mansion with danger round every corner. The thing which destroys this movie is that the danger in question is supplied by some scientifically tampered monkeys who live in the house, under the observation of scientist Terence Stamp.
Monkeys? I hear you cry! Yes, monkeys! A bunch of psychotic chimpanzees are the principle bad guys in this film. At this point, you suddenly stop wondering what delightful Hitchcockian surprises director Franklin has up his sleeve, and you begin to try hard not to let laughter seize you. How can the film possibly hope to succeed with such an inane and insane plot? How can it hope to scare you witless with such cute and cuddly animals in the role of the villains? How can a talented director and stars be working on such a ludcrous project as this?
The truth of the matter is that Link is a misjudgement by all concerned. It is Franklin's worst film, Shue's most embarrassing and Stamp's laziest ever performance. Still, at least the monkeys look cute and cuddly!
Monkeys? I hear you cry! Yes, monkeys! A bunch of psychotic chimpanzees are the principle bad guys in this film. At this point, you suddenly stop wondering what delightful Hitchcockian surprises director Franklin has up his sleeve, and you begin to try hard not to let laughter seize you. How can the film possibly hope to succeed with such an inane and insane plot? How can it hope to scare you witless with such cute and cuddly animals in the role of the villains? How can a talented director and stars be working on such a ludcrous project as this?
The truth of the matter is that Link is a misjudgement by all concerned. It is Franklin's worst film, Shue's most embarrassing and Stamp's laziest ever performance. Still, at least the monkeys look cute and cuddly!