The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
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A United Nations negotiator becomes trapped on a remote island where a scientist experiments on human-animal hybrids.
The story
After surviving a plane crash in the Java Sea, United Nations negotiator Edward Douglas is rescued by a boat and taken to 'Moreau's Island.' There, he is met by Dr. Montgomery, who warns him not to wander. However, Douglas escapes his confinement and discovers a laboratory where he witnesses a human/animal hybrid giving birth. He is subsequently found by Aissa, a daughter of the island's master, and led to a village of hybrids. These beings are kept in a state of servitude by Dr. Moreau, who has been experimenting with human DNA to create a 'higher being.' Douglas soon finds himself caught in the middle of Moreau's twisted experiments and the reality of the island's inhabitants.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a plane crash, Edward Douglas is rescued and taken to Moreau's Island, where he meets Dr. Montgomery. Douglas escapes his room and discovers a village of human-animal hybrids kept in submission by Dr. Moreau's remote-controlled implants. Moreau explains his quest to create a 'higher being' by merging human DNA with animals. The plot intensifies when a hybrid named Lo-Mai is tried for breaking rules; during the trial, a hybrid named Azazello kills Lo-Mai. The death causes a 'Hyena-Swine' hybrid to realize the implants are a source of pain; he removes his and leads others to revolt against Moreau. The rebels eventually kill Moreau. Amidst the chaos, Montgomery loses his mind, and the hybrids begin to reclaim their wilder instincts. Douglas attempts to contact the outside world but is hindered by sabotage. Eventually, a series of violent clashes occurs among the hybrids, including the death of Azazello. In the end, a massive explosion caused by M'Ling allows Douglas to escape on a raft as the remaining hybrids choose to return to their natural states, ending Moreau's work.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Frankenheimer
- Writers
- Richard Stanley · original director; Ron Hutchinson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Marlon Brando · Dr. Moreau; Val Kilmer · Dr. Montgomery; David Thewlis · Edward Douglas; Fairuza Balk · Aissa; Daniel Rigney · Hyena-Swine; Temuera Morrison · Azazello; Nelson de la Rosa · Majai; Peter Elliott · Assassimon; Mark Dacascos · Lo-Mai; Ron Perlman · Sayer of the Law; Marco Hofschneider · M'Ling; Miguel López · Waggdi
- Genres
- science fiction; horror
- Themes
- Genetic engineering; Man vs. Nature; Ethics of science
- Tone and mood
- Dark; Ominous
- Premise and plot tags
- Mad Scientist; Monster Movie; Survival
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells (1896)
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews and was considered a box office bomb.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 22% · scale: percentage · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- Razzie Award · Worst Supporting Actor · Win; Stinkers Bad Movie Award · Worst Supporting Actor · Win
- Production trivia
- The character of Dr. Alphonse Mephesto and his adopted son Kevin from South Park are homages to Marlon Brando's Dr Moreau and Nelson de la Rosa's Majai.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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