congo be base on the best selling novel by michael crichton and which i think lacked crichton usual charm and smart character and punch . well and sorry to say and but the same go for the film . here the plot representgreed be bad and this simple morality tale caution . a megalomaniacal c. e. o . ( joe don baker ) send his son into the dangerous african congo on a quest for a source of diamond large enough and pure enough to function a powerful laser communication transmitter ( or be it laser weapon . ) . when contact be lose with his son and the team and his daughter in law ( laura linney ) and a former cia operative and computer freak and be send after them . on her quest and she be accompany by gee whiz gadgetry and a few eccentric character ( include a mercenary ( ernie hudson ) and a researcher with a talk gorilla ( dylan walsh ) and and a a nutty indiana jones type look for king solomon mine ( tim curry ) . after some narrow escape from surface to air missile and some african wildlife and they all discover that often what we most want turn out to be the source of our downfall . the actor in this movie be not talented . dylan walsh act like a pathetic crybaby and especially at the end while ernie hudson be unconvincing ( be it no wonder he go on to star in tv film . ) and laura linney be nothing special . i think i can safely say the only talented actor in this film have very small role represent joe don baker and tim curry and an always enjoyable actor ( although sometimes scar for life by constantly be remind of his rocky horror picture day ) . this movie also have some other problem and include awful direction style and cheesy dialogue and a just plain boring plot and which be completely hash when compare to crichton novel . not even stan winston creature effect could save this movie from be a disaster . i be deeply disappointed in this movie while there be not even a campy quality to redeem itself with . it be just plain awful and cheesy and boring and ridiculous and and prof to be one of the bad crichton book to film production . 2/5 star john ulmer .