Stars: Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, Marlon Brando, Fairuza Balk, Ron Perlman, Mark Dacascos

Director: John Frankenheimer

Summary: Edward Douglas is taken to the mysterious island of Dr Moreau after his plane crashes in the Pacific. Unable to leave or get information about the experiments the doctor is conducting he sets about searching for answers on his own...

Marlon Brando stars as the eponymous 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 kindom, 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.

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Though this graphic 1996 version of HG Wells' The Island of Dr Moreauwas roasted by critics, it's an utterly fascinating failure, largely due to the performances of David Thewlis, Val Kilmer and especially Marlon Brando in the title role as a mad (and in this case outrageously bizarre) scientist whose experiments in crossbreeding humans with animals have gone terribly awry. Thewlis plays the wayward scholar who is rescued at sea by Kilmer and brought to Moreau's island to discover the doctor's unnatural "children". Fairuza Balk plays Moreau's half-cat daughter, but it's Brando and Kilmer (in one scene doing a killer Brando impersonation) who steal the show, along with the astounding make-up effects created by Stan Winston. A guilty pleasure by any measure, this movie has definite cult-favourite potential. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Interactive Menus, Scene Access
Year:	1996
Release Date:	March 27, 2000
Runtime:	92 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	E D V 9081
Keywords:	Island, General, Fiction, Moreau, Science, Horror, Sci, Fi, Dr
Genre:	Science Fiction