Review of Instinct (1999) by Scott S — 18 Aug 2008

Piece of shit is an understatement. This isn't a surprise given who directed this. Jon Turtletaub is a Disney hack who directed such dogshit as National Treasure 1 and 2, While You Were Sleeping, The Kid, and Phenomenon (ok, Phenomenon was a'ight).

After watching this, I'm really amazed an Oscar was given to Cuba Gooding. He hams up the hell out of his character in this to a point where I seriously wondered whether he can really act well. Hopkins clearly phones in his performance as does Sutherland.

There are too many problems with this movie for me to cover here. The plot alone is generic and uninteresting. I can't remember the last time I watched something that was so patched together with cliche after cliche.

Cuba is a hotshot grad student who's given a plum assignment, which in the end he succeeds at and in the process also becomes a better person. Where have we seen that before? Tom Cruise has covered this territory many times and has done it MUCH better than Cuba did.

Hopkins being an ape man is soooo uninteresting that it took a lot of physical and mental energy to watch this through to the end. Thats saying a lot considering what a animal rights lover I am. In fact, the only thing I did like about this film was Hopkins decision to kill the poachers for screwin' with his gorillas.

I'm in the minority for believing this, but I think killing an animal is the same as killing a human and I found nothing wrong with Hopkins killing the poachers. I just wish this theme was contained in a better film.