Twelve Monkeys

Jeffrey (Brad Pitt), and his co-conspirators, The Army Of The Twelve Monkeys were not responsible for releasing the virus. They were only responsible for releasing animals from the zoo. James Cole (Bruce Willis) and Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) try to head to the ocean (Florida Keys, a recurring destination throughout the film) as Cole has never seen it. Then at the airport, he calls the voicemail number to update the scientists in the future on this revelation about The Army Of The Twelve Monkeys and to tell them he is not coming back. Minutes later the scarred Jose (Jon Seda) appears and gives him a gun to shoot the one responsible for the virus. Dr. Peters (David Morse) was the real perpetrator for the virus, he got the idea when Kathryn and Dr. Goines (Christopher Plummer) were talking on the phone. Kathryn realises this as she spots a picture of Dr. Goines with Dr. Peters on the cover of a newspaper and sees him headed to board a flight. And this is the climax where James' memory/dream collides with reality. The man in the Hawaiian shirt is Cole, the young boy is the younger Cole, the blonde woman is Kathryn, and the long haired brief case man is Dr. Peters. As James tries to shoot Dr. Peters, he instead is shot by the police. As Kathryn scurries towards the gunned down James the younger James witnesses this. Dr. Peters makes it to the airplane, but the female scientist from the future is sat next to him and when asked what she does she replies "I'm in insurance." We are led to believe she will retrieve a pure specimen of the virus and bring it back to the future. The film ends as it began with a close up on young Cole's eyes, this time as he watches the plane flying away from the airport car park.

Rocky Lotito

More mistakes in Twelve Monkeys

James Cole: She's not honey babe, she's a doctor. My psychiatrist. Understand?
Charlie the Hotel Clerk: Whatever gets it up for you, Jack.

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Trivia: Terry Gilliam was almost killed in a horse-riding accident during production of this movie.

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Question: There are marked similarities between Cole's present day asylum and his future world, such as the showers he receives, and the scientists/doctors. What is the significance of these parallels? Do they have a hidden meaning?

Answer: It is meant to draw similarities between the treatment of the mentally ill and convicted felons. Quite often, even today, the mentally ill are housed and treated in facilities that are little better (for quality of life or prospects of rehabilitation) than prisons.

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