Review of Congo (1972) by Stuart K — 05 Aug 2013

Based on Michael Crichton's 1980 novel, and directed by Frank Marshall (Arachnophobia (1990) and Alive (1993)), this looks stunning, but something isn't right in the adaptation of Crichton's novel, it came out when everyone was adapting his works in the wake of the success of Jurassic Park (1993).

While it was an attempt to revive jungle adventure films that had died out an age before, the film is let down by hammy acting and dubious special effects work. When scientist Charles Travis (Bruce Campbell) goes missing while testing a laser near a dormant volcano in the Congo, his father R.

B. Travis (Joe Don Baker), asks Charles' ex-fiance Karen Ross (Laura Linney) out to the Congo to find out what happened, and to finish what Charles started. Along with Karen for the trip are scientist Dr.

Peter Elliott (Dylan Walsh) and his assistant Richard (Grant Heslov), who have a gorilla called Amy, who can speak English thanks to computers, and also with them is Romanian Philanthropist Herkermer Homolka (Tim Curry), who is one of the financiers of the expedition to find what happened.

But it turns out Homolka has a secret agenda entirely, and that he's no stranger to the area either, meanwhile the group find themselves in danger from local militia. This film is a let down, as it deserved to be good, but circumstances within the makers control let them down, because CGI wasn't well advanced, they could only use men in suits and puppets for the gorillas, Bruce Campbell is wasted when he should have more screentime and Tim Curry (usually ace) sounds like Borat.

It mistakes fun for po-faced seriousness, and therein lies the problem.