Touches You

Sick Product of a Sick System

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I'm slightly dismayed at the low regard for this film since it is one of the better realizations of a Michael Crichton novel. Coming as it was just 2 years after the block-buster movie "Jurassic Park" (based on another Crichton novel) perhaps many in the target audience expected more and felt short-changed by this film. And for sheer spectacle, "Congo" obviously isn't going to top the earlier film. In my view though, for sheer viewing pleasure this film is nearly as good in many ways. The action is almost non-stop: From the start, "Congo" proceeds apace with almost no wasted lines, scenes or characters and something important is happening in almost every scene.Unusual among this type of action film are the many likable characters. Heading up the excellent cast is Laura Linney as Karen, the very serious but quite competent leader of the expedition. She has been dispatched to the Congo to discover what has happened to an earlier expedition sent by her employer JB Travis, (Joe Don Baker) whose son has been mysteriously lost (on a search for industrial diamonds for communications satellites). Also good are Dylan Walsh as a primatologist seeking to return his lab gorilla (Amy) to the wild; Ernie Hudson as Captain Kelly, the very likable American/British/? fixer and guide; and Tim Curry as Hormulka, a greedy Romanian "philanthropist" who is secretly funding the expedition in a search for diamonds "in the mysterious city of Xingh" (after mentioning this, Kelly asks Hormulka "Have you been taking your medication?")Although all of this sounds like the makings of a cartoon,"Congo" is anything but cartoonish: There are enough exciting plot elements, likable characters, low-level intrigue, fascinating technology, and elements of real danger that you could easily fill two similar movies. I am as discerning as any other IMDB commenter, and so I usually find myself agreeing with 5 star ratings on clinker movies. However, this is one time I strongly feel a movie should be rated a lot higher then it is. For great plot development, gorgeous scenery, interesting animals (even the ones with people in monkey suits) cool tech, decent gun-play and interesting, likable and well-played characters, I feel this movie deserves a solid 9.

In Congo, Charles Travis (Bruce Campbell) is testing a communication system by laser with his former fiancée Dr. Karen Ross (Laura Linney) for the TraviCom network. Charles is the son of the millionaire R.B. Travis (Joe Don Baker), who owns the TraviCom and is Karen's employer. Charles and his friend Jeffrey (Taylor Nichols) find the ruins of a lost city but are somehow killed. Meanwhile their camp is completely destroyed and then the camera is shut down by a creature. Travis discloses to Karen that his son was actually trying to find a rare blue diamond in Congo and sends her to look for him. Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Elliot (Dylan Walsh) and his assistant Richard (Grant Heslov) are testing communication with the gorilla Amy and they decide to take her back to Congo since the animal seems to miss her birthplace. However they have funding issue but the Romanian philanthropist Herkermer Homolka (Tim Curry) offers to financially assist them. In the airport, Karen provides more money and joins the expedition. In the politically unstable Africa, they meet the experienced guide Captain Munro Kelly (Ernie Hudson) that bribes Captain Wanta (Delroy Lindo) to let them go. Further, he discloses that Homolka's real intention is to find the Lost City of Zinj. Then they embark in a plane in the beginning of a dangerous adventure in Congo. Despite the negative reviews, "Congo" is an entertaining but outdated jungle adventure movie in the style of Tarzan, with lost city, dangerous gorillas and forgotten tribe of natives. The screenplay does not develop well the relationship among Charles Travis, his apparently estranged father R.B. Travis and Dr. Karen Ross but the film works on a rainy Saturday afternoon. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): Congo"

Wait. Was Nicolas Cage not available for this? Was Tim Curry a last minute replacement?I remember seeing Congo in its initial run in summer 1995 and not liking it much. Fast forward almost 20 years, and yeah, it's still bad.Now, was it the worst movie? Hell, the worst Michal Crichton adaptation? Nope. But it was neither memorable, well plotted, fun, exciting or worth a second viewing.In fact, I would have never, ever, given this a second viewing after 19 years had the gang at the How Did This Get Made studios not added this to their list of movies I needed to see before I listened to their fantastic take on this movie.I see where this movie, plot, script and idea was headed. And it could've gotten there, to a great, mysterious and fun place. Nope. It decided to go into 50 different directions and never focus on one main objective for use to care.OK, allow me to spend 15 seconds on a movie's synopsis, I've only seen twice, the most recent of two decades within the last month: Someone wants to find gold, someone wants to find fortune, someone wants to find Bruce Campbell and something wants to find home.What made this 2nd and last viewing enjoyable was: I truly love the performers: Bruce Campbell, Laura Linney and Ernie Hudson. While this movie was terrible, they still made it fun.No, don't see this. Unless you want to watch it like I did in order to listen to the How Did This Get Made podcast. There's no real reason. It's so all-over-the-place, it's not worth it.* * * Final thoughts: Yeah, just watch and read Jurassic Park. That's all Michael Crichton is huge for. God rest his soul, but his other movies, with the exception of Disclosure…eh.

"Congo," based on Michael Crichton's novel, was a fair hit in the summer of 1995. I didn't get to see it at the time, but I've seen it twice since 2009 and enjoyed it greatly.THE STORY: Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh, Tim Curry and Ernie Hudson star in an unlikely expedition into deepest, darkest Africa where they discover King Solomon's secret diamond mine and the killer gorillas bred to guard it. Along for the ride is a female gorilla who's been trained to use sign language which activates a speech synthesizer.The film plays out like a less-goofy Indiana Jones flick or "Jurassic Park" without dinosaurs or kids and with a better cast.Laura Linney is a believable female protagonist; She's good-looking but not smokin' hot (e.g. Megan Fox). Dylan Walsh is a likable addition to the cast as the primologist. To the story's credit Linney never has a hot spring scene and there is no real love story in the mix. Not that I would have minded either; it's just refreshing that the film avoids such clichés, maybe because the rest of the story is full of well-worn material. For instance, Tim Curry as the diamond-obsessed creep and the volcano-erupting, temple-colapsing climax.The best castmember is Ernie Hudson as Monro Kelly, who takes the reigns of the expedition and refers to himself as "a great white hunter who happens to be black" (hee, hee). I don't remember seeing Hudson in any other film or TV show but he's stellar here. He effortlessly commands the safari and responds to the string of dangerous encounters with a confident, bemused detachment.The stellar filming locations include Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Costa Rico and the Los Angeles County Botanic Garden.With the exception of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," which is in a league of its own, "Congo" is on par or better than the other Indiana Jones flicks. I actually like it better. Although the hackneyed ending will make you roll your eyes (as well as thrill you), "Congo" fits the bill if you're in the mood for a modern jungle action flick. Just keep in mind it's not "Apocalypse Now" and was never meant to be.The film runs 109 minutes.GRADE: B