Review of Instinct (1999) by Maxim D — 22 Feb 2007

[font=Arial]So, some films about apes, including us. It's hard not to think of Planet of the Apes in terms of South Africa's history. In these terms, I guess Mark Wahlberg would be Mr International Opinion. He wasn't necessarily a saint, participating in the "chimps first, people if it's safe" deal (for a guy intimately involved in that project, calling them "monkeys" sure was a script oversight, as was the sudden proliferation of orangutans and gorillas from chimp ancestors), but he had the right idea. The chimps won over by force, enacted a period of oppression and violent rule, and then faced the consequences, with some apes swapping sides here and there. Ultimately, Mr International Opinion goes home to find there's the same problem where he came from, while the peoples of the aped planet sorta try to get along.[/font].

[font=Arial]I didn't enjoy this film the first time, but found it pretty entertaining on second viewing, aside from some shoddy loopholes and technological improbabilities. But hey, talking apes. (doom-doom-dish)[/font].

[font=Arial]Instinct was in a similar class of emotional wanking, and I guess it succeeds, if you're listening. Living in Africa, I can't claim to be emotionally "closer" to the issues of poaching and the abuse of animal rights taking place mostly on this continent, but I sure as hell jumped out of my chair and screamed my head off when an erstwhile leader of the National Party, a spineless wimp who needed a whack with the clue bat, grew a pair and decided that in his capacity as Minister of Environmental Affairs he was going to outlaw canned hunting in South Africa as of June this year. No more hunting of thick-skinned animals such as rhinos with bows and arrows; no more shooting of essentially domesticated "wild" animals bred for that purpose; no more farming of beasts to slaughter for a few bucks from foreigners who want to feel the rush of pointing a fuckoff big gun through a fence and picking off an animal that lost itself in humiliation and the degradation of jail a long time ago. And wouldn't have run if it could.[/font].

[font=Arial]Lots more happening out this way: we're having a heatwave. The local premier football league has decided to delay match kickoffs this week "so as not to endanger the lives of the players". This last weekend the New South Wales Waratahs faced a local rugby side in 37-degree heat in Kimberly, which is pretty intense. Why they couldn't delay THAT game is, well, the same reason South Africa lost a cricket world cup semifinal some years ago - the TV broadcast has to go out, so get on with it. Also, just east of here in Mozambique, a tropical cyclone is about to make landfall, just about a week after their last bout of flooding subsided. They're just having no luck. Eu desejo-lhe a sorte boa, meus irmãos.[/font].