The Island of Dr. Moreau (Blu-ray)

Entertainment Weekly - 07/27/2012
"Brando is showstoppingly bizarre. He isn't just phoning this one in, he's calling long-distance from Mars." -- Grade: B

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.

In this updating of the 1896 H.G. Wells tale, Marlon Brando stars as a brilliant, demented scientist whose remote island populated by genetically altered beast-people is thrown into chaos when his manufactured minions stage a revolt.

Based On A Novel | Jungle | Mad Doctor | Mutants | Remake | Science-Fiction | Theatrical Release | Thriller