The Island of Dr. Moreau

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The Island of Dr. Moreau

PG-13

1996

1h 35m

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

23%

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35 Reviews

20%

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25,000+ Ratings

An English U.N. negotiator (David Thewlis) becomes stranded in the tropics with a mad scientist (Marlon Brando) who makes half-human beasts.

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Critics Consensus

Timid and unfocused in its storytelling, The Island Of Dr. Moreau is more lackluster misfire than morbid curiosity.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

John Frankenheimer is credited as director, but given the scrambled, multiple agendas at play here, he seems to function more like a bemused traffic cop.

Jun 14, 2022

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Brando's performance is enormous fun, but it's not just a joke. He's hilarious and gently mesmerizing at once, and director John Frankenheimer savvily adjusts the tone of his movie to fit Brando's daft brilliance.

Feb 27, 2018

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

Roughly akin to watching a slow-motion train wreck in which the flames spread into the brush and become an out-of-control wildfire. What the hell happened?

Aug 16, 2016

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Not even the most devoted Frankenheimer enthusiast will find a coherent outcome, no matter how layered it may be with admirable degrees of pure oddity and (arguably intentional) hokum.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 30, 2022

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Thanks to special creature and makeup effects by Stan Winston, the various deformed fiends take center stage, showcasing diverting designs and a decent production value.

Rated: 4/10

Sep 14, 2020

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Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

It's not to say there's not a lot wrong with the film, but rather to suggest that the chief criticisms of it being strange and "a mess" aren't among them.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 19, 2012

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Monty F

I liked it. For those who thought it was a hot mess, should an island full of experimental part man part beast run by a couple of insaniacs be any less. It had a straight forward story and didn’t need to be anymore than that. I saw the documentary about it first and thought I’d watch to see how bad it was. I ended up enjoying it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/11/24

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MG_Claymore C

Frankenheimer is credited as director but after seeing the film, I bet he wishes he wasn't. Pretty sure this film is still up on YouTube. It's still not been taken down by copyright claim (DMCA'ed) In other words, even Warner Bros. doesn't want to claim this steaming heap of dog sh*t. Haha!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/19/24

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John W

It is a very goofy film. Too many changes & revisions, its not worth watching it even on a dare.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

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John F

An unheralded comedy classic that lampoons Apocalypse Now.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/15/24

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Callum H

Gloriously awful. While Brando and his little homunculus are on screen, it’s entertainingly bad. The rest of the runtime is just painful. The story of its troubled production is well known, but I don’t think that’s the issue here. Even if the original director’s vision was perfectly realized, it would still be a terrible movie. The writers transposed the story into the modern day and somehow to managed to completely remove all of its reason for existing while doing so. It seems as if the writer/director just didn’t understand H G Wells’ book in the slightest. It’s like a parody of an adaptation. Instead of meditations on science, progress, faith, post-humanism, and the dangers of unfettered rationalism, we get… werewolves with AK-47s… F**k this film.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/03/24

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Alec B

Embarrassing for just about everyone involved (except maybe Stan Winston). Brando's trolling performance is legitimately jaw dropping. You just cannot believe they let him do all of this nonsense.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/29/24

Full Review

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John Frankenheimer

Director

Marlon Brando

Dr. Moreau

Val Kilmer

Montgomery

David Thewlis

Edward Douglas

Fairuza Balk

Aissa

Ron Perlman

Sayor of the Law

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Synopsis

An English U.N. negotiator (David Thewlis) becomes stranded in the tropics with a mad scientist (Marlon Brando) who makes half-human beasts.

Director: John Frankenheimer
Producer: Edward R. Pressman
Screenwriter: Richard Stanley, Ron Hutchinson
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 28, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $27.7M
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Stereo, Surround

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