nb represent spoiler within . this great movie be about so many thing and all of them successfully represent sci fi time travel and unstable psychology and dystopian society and the what be real syndrome and gradual undermining of belief system and worldwide bioterrorism and and a nascent love story . the ramification of the story twisted time line stir up load of heated debate witness the discussion within this site while or and a an extreme and check out the dissertation at www . mjyoung . net or time or monkey . html . whew . such temporal emphasis speak mostly to the brilliant plot and come from the magnificent work of writer david and janet people and not to mention the inspiration of chris marker la jetee . without a doubt and this be one of the most successful and fascinating time travel movie ever conceive . but there be many other level speak here . the movie real genius be to focus on the nasty side effect of time travel in the mind of james cole ( bruce willis and do the best work of his career here ) . his journey progress from gung ho vaccine hunt warrior to gradually unhinged victim and back again . the other broad sweep of the story increasingly emphasize the personal tale between james and dr. kathryn railly ( the wonderful madeleine stowe ) . i love the simultaneous shifting or oppose viewpoint of these two character . for me it all come to a head in the fleabag hotel room scene . by this point and james once grip by an unshakable determination now slump in utter doubt about his own reality while while dr. railly the cool and rational scientist have finally become wildly convinced and after absorb james proofs and of his horrific prediction . her desperation to get through to james and hang on to the mission show how far she come . gilliam make u care about these character and especially through the crescendo of tension thread their life . the balance hold between emotional roller coaster and mount sci fi puzzle or thriller be exquisite . and the denouement at the airport be heart poundingly intense because we see it come so clearly through james dream . it be here and just after james have decide to quit the whole mess and be fight his insanity more than ever that he step back up to the plate and do what be necessary for mankind . see jose and the gun ( just before this and the reference to hitchcock vertigo and identity switching or confusion be brilliant . ) this be a movie to be hash out between think people while it not only hold up under repeat viewing and it demand them . twelve monkey be intelligent and provocative and bizarre and funny and and suspenseful stuff . the support cast be excellent and especially brad pitt steal all of his scene and show great flexibility a jeffery goines and craze and spoil and but ever the survivor . and there be david morse a dr. peter ( interest how the movie simply leave to the viewer his wicked motivation ) and christopher plummer a dr. goines . but the big accolade belong to terry gilliam and surpass here just barely his outstanding brazil . ( lot of parallel and of course and especially the lonely combatant try to escape his crumble surroundings represent lunacy within and lunacy without . ) every frame of this movie have his unique stamp and tone . the soundtrack be terrific and too . this be one of the great achievement of the 90 and a true favorite of mine and and sure to hold up for a long time to come .