To get the most out of this film, it's best to watch it in conjunction with "Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau" a 2014 documentary about its making.
Questions about how the movie ended up so crazy are answered in often hilarious detail. Yes there is an explanation as to why Marlon Brando as Dr. Moreau wears an ice bucket on his head in a bizarre scene.
I didn't know anything about Richard Stanley, the original director who was sacked and replaced, until I read the information on IMDb trivia after watching the movie. Much of that information comes from the documentary.
Like the 1977 version of the story, the film is based on H. G. Wells' novel where Dr. Moreau retreats to a remote island to put into practice his theory about creating humans from animals. The story is told from the point of view of a sailor who ends up on the island and witnesses the good doctor's work unravel as the creatures regress and tear up the joint.
This version sticks closer in some ways to the basic structure of the book, but overlaid with the original director's vision of updating it to the present. The makeup and special effects are also many notches above the 1977 version.
However it was the actors that sent the film off kilter, and that's where the fun really started. Few mainstream Hollywood movies ever went as completely out of control as this one. What becomes obvious in the documentary as you watch the interviews with the actors and crew is that they could dine out for years on the stories they have to tell - most of which revolve around Marlon Brando.
Marco Hofschneider who played one of the creatures proves to be a brilliant raconteur as he describes interactions he had with the legendary actor. Fairuza Balk who was a supporter of the original director, and seemed traumatised by the experience tells of a conversation with Marlon where she actually does a brilliant impression of him. All were provided with pure gold for a lifetime of anecdotes, and reveal that what went on behind the camera was more entertaining than anything in front of it.
The 1996 version is a mess and wears out its welcome before the end, but when you know why it ended up like that, it could be the most enjoyable movie you'll watch all year.
Questions about how the movie ended up so crazy are answered in often hilarious detail. Yes there is an explanation as to why Marlon Brando as Dr. Moreau wears an ice bucket on his head in a bizarre scene.
I didn't know anything about Richard Stanley, the original director who was sacked and replaced, until I read the information on IMDb trivia after watching the movie. Much of that information comes from the documentary.
Like the 1977 version of the story, the film is based on H. G. Wells' novel where Dr. Moreau retreats to a remote island to put into practice his theory about creating humans from animals. The story is told from the point of view of a sailor who ends up on the island and witnesses the good doctor's work unravel as the creatures regress and tear up the joint.
This version sticks closer in some ways to the basic structure of the book, but overlaid with the original director's vision of updating it to the present. The makeup and special effects are also many notches above the 1977 version.
However it was the actors that sent the film off kilter, and that's where the fun really started. Few mainstream Hollywood movies ever went as completely out of control as this one. What becomes obvious in the documentary as you watch the interviews with the actors and crew is that they could dine out for years on the stories they have to tell - most of which revolve around Marlon Brando.
Marco Hofschneider who played one of the creatures proves to be a brilliant raconteur as he describes interactions he had with the legendary actor. Fairuza Balk who was a supporter of the original director, and seemed traumatised by the experience tells of a conversation with Marlon where she actually does a brilliant impression of him. All were provided with pure gold for a lifetime of anecdotes, and reveal that what went on behind the camera was more entertaining than anything in front of it.
The 1996 version is a mess and wears out its welcome before the end, but when you know why it ended up like that, it could be the most enjoyable movie you'll watch all year.