Review of The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) by Wayne K — 20 Apr 2018

A catastrophically ill-fated movie whose troubled production has since become cinematic folklore, The Island Of Dr. Moreau goes wrong in about every conceivable way. The start isn't so bad, but quickly the onset difficulties begin to emerge, and any semblance of a sensical story or narrative coherence are thrown out the window, and the film devolves into a complete cluster of insanity and nonsense.

Surprisingly, Marlon Brando, who at this point was beyond not giving a damn when it came to acting, is actually not as bad as I thought he would be. Playing a mad scientist while doing what seems to be an impersonation of the late Ken Dodd, he's not given anything interesting to do or say, but he at least looks like he's giving it a go.

David Thewlis is entirely wasted on a part that requires him to be almost exclusively an observer rather than a participant, and his involvement as a character is completely inconsequential. Val Kilmer, allegedly the most troublesome on set presence, is also passive and unengaging.

It's a dream project ruined by circumstances both tragic and selfish, and serves as a warning to Directors that too many overpaid, temperamental cooks spitting in the broth can only result in disaster.