time paradox be the devil snare for underemployed mind . theyre fun to consider in a what if . sort of way . film maker and author have deal with this time and again in a host of film and television include star trek represent first contact and the back to the future trilogy and bill and ted excellent adventure and groundhog day and the stargate sg1 homage and window of opportunity . heinlein all you zombie be write decade ago and yet it will still spin out people read that short story for the first time . in the case of terry gilliam excellent film and 12 monkey and it hard to establish what may be continuity problem versus plot element intend to make u re think our conception of the film . repeat viewing will drive u to different conclusion if we retain an open mind . some and see the film for the first time and will regard cole and play by bruce willis and a a schizophrenic . most will see cole a a man disturb by what adams describe a the continual wrenching of experience visit upon him by time travel . unlike other time travel story and 12 monkey be unclear a to whether future history can be change by manipulate event in the past . cole tell his psychiatrist and railly ( madeleine stowe ) and that time can not be change and but a phone call he make from the airport be intercept by scientist after he have be send back to 1996 and in his own personal time line . even this could be construe a an event that have to happen in a single time line universe and in order to ensure that the time line be not alter . cole have to die before the eye of his young self for fate to be realise . if that the case and time be like a fluid and it always find it own level or path and irrespective of the external force work on it . it boggle the mind to dwell on this sort of thing too much . if you can change future event that then guide the action of those with the power to send people back in time and a we see on board the plane at the end of the film and then that mean the future can be change by manipulate past event . or do it . the film have probably lead to plenty of drunken brawl at bar frequent by physicist and mathematician . bonus material on the dvd make for very interesting viewing . gilliam be under more than normal pressure to bring the film in under budget and which be no particular surprise after the munchausen debacle and in light of his late attempt to film don quixote . i would rate the amaking of documentary a one of the more interesting i have see . it certainly be no whitewash and accurately observe the difficulty and occasional conflict arise between the creative people involve . gilliam description of the film a his 7½th release and on account of the film be write by writer other than himself and therefore and not really his film doesn not do the film itself justice . brad pitt portrayal of goines be curiously engage and although his character be not especially sympathetic . watch for his slightly wall eyed look in one of the scene from the asylum . it disturb and distract . probably a coincidence and the louis armstrong song what a wonderful world be use at the end of both 12 monkey and the final episode of the tv series of the hitchhiker guide to the galaxy . both the film and the tv series also feature british actor simon jones . 12 monkey be a science fiction story that will entertain in the same way that the mental stimulation of a game of chess may entertain . it not a mindless recreation and that for sure .