For his follow-up to DAY OF THE DEAD, George Romero chose this adaptation of a novel which manages to be scary thanks to the fact that it's an extremely realistic film. I don't think the scientific experiments on monkeys portrayed here are that far-fetched, do you? Of course, it wouldn't be a very good film if there weren't some fantastic moments, but for the most part this is an accurate and bleak tale. It's also a rather unpleasant one, albeit a film without the graphic gore which Romero usually delivers. Fans of his zombie trilogy will probably be disappointed with the total lack of blood and guts on here, as instead we get a slow-moving, character-focused drama which runs for nearly two hours. Yes, there are a number of deaths, but most of them are off screen. Tom Savini is credited with effects but seriously, they're few and far between.
What makes this film an interesting one for me is the unusual story that it has. Monkeys have always seemed to be quite evil creatures (check out OUTBREAK if you don't believe me) and this film dwells on an evil monkey, called Ella. The nature-running-amok theme is handled quite well, leading to a lot of creepy moments amid the more typical shocks. The acting can best be described as adequate, seeing as this is a late '80s movie... although I rather liked Jason Beghe's Jekyll/Hyde routine as the lead. But the real star of the show here is Ella, the monkey, who frequently does astonishing things. Watching a monkey running around with a straight razor and stabbing needles into people is something I found to be quite disturbing.
Although the film is gore-free, it's also not for the squeamish, as lots of nasty things happen to people involving needles and implied violence (especially when that needle gets too close to someone's ear, ugh!). The climax is quite good, highlighting the shortcomings of Beghe's disability as he desperately fights for control against the monkey which is now openly murdering all and sundry. And I defy you not to be shocked by the ending, which sees Beghe literally biting and ripping the monkey apart using only his teeth (as he's paralysed from the neck down). All this and there's time for a happy ending too. MONKEY SHINES is a film with a great idea behind it, only let down by the long running time and slow pace which frequently mean scenes verge on boredom. I would call it an interesting curiosity piece, but not one to go out of your way to see and not one you would want to watch again.
What makes this film an interesting one for me is the unusual story that it has. Monkeys have always seemed to be quite evil creatures (check out OUTBREAK if you don't believe me) and this film dwells on an evil monkey, called Ella. The nature-running-amok theme is handled quite well, leading to a lot of creepy moments amid the more typical shocks. The acting can best be described as adequate, seeing as this is a late '80s movie... although I rather liked Jason Beghe's Jekyll/Hyde routine as the lead. But the real star of the show here is Ella, the monkey, who frequently does astonishing things. Watching a monkey running around with a straight razor and stabbing needles into people is something I found to be quite disturbing.
Although the film is gore-free, it's also not for the squeamish, as lots of nasty things happen to people involving needles and implied violence (especially when that needle gets too close to someone's ear, ugh!). The climax is quite good, highlighting the shortcomings of Beghe's disability as he desperately fights for control against the monkey which is now openly murdering all and sundry. And I defy you not to be shocked by the ending, which sees Beghe literally biting and ripping the monkey apart using only his teeth (as he's paralysed from the neck down). All this and there's time for a happy ending too. MONKEY SHINES is a film with a great idea behind it, only let down by the long running time and slow pace which frequently mean scenes verge on boredom. I would call it an interesting curiosity piece, but not one to go out of your way to see and not one you would want to watch again.