Customer Reviews

Congo

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

I'll admit that I'm probably giving this film a higher rating than it deserves, but I really enjoy watching it. It seems like a really good attempt at capturing the essence of the old cliffhanger movies starring the likes of Tarzan from way back in the 30's and 40's. Although it isn't the greatest film around, it's one of the best high adventure flicks to roll out since "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Of course, it's nowhere near as good as "Ark," but at least it gives us a good story with some solid characters.

The characters are relatively stock, but that's to be expected in a film like this. Dylan Walsh plays the young, smart, and helpful scientist. Ernie Hudson is the great hunter who fears nothing. Tim Curry is the over-the-top, greedy "philanthropist" with wicked intentions. The rest of the cast does a great job, considering the overall material they work with.

For 1995, the special effects are just fine. Having the wicked gorillas rumble around and attack people looked pretty good considering it was a bunch of guys in suits. Walsh's signing gorilla was full of RC facial expressions.

This film was obviously made with the intent of riding the coattails of another Michael Crichton book-turned-movie, "Jurassic Park." Trust me, "Jurassic Park" is ten times as good as this rumble in the jungle, but "Congo" will suffice for some above-average Sunday afternoon entertainment.

I'd consider it a safe buy due to the fact that it isn't too expensive and the story is better than most of the latest jungle flicks.

Reminiscent of those Saturday matinee serials, Congo is an adventure film directed by Frank Marshall and written by Oscar winner John Patrick Shanley. I have read the book before and it's quite different from the film. Many regard this as the worst film adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel but I don't think so. Marshall seemed to be heading for trashy fun when he directed the film and that's exactly what the audience gets.

The plot begins with promise. An expedition in the virunga region of the Congo travel to Mount Mukenko in search of a diamond that will enhance a large company called Travicom. However the entire group is slaughtered by what seems to be a gorilla. Now, a group led by Monroe Kelly (Ernie Hudson), Peter Elliot (Dylan Walsh), and Karen Ross (Laura Linney) head to the Congo to renew the search for the diamond and find out what happened to the other expedition.

While Crichton's novel was full of nail-biting tension, Marshall and Stanley go more for the light-hearted and offer some moments of humor. That's not to say there's no tension. There's plenty of it in the last half hour of the film not to mention a bit of gory violence that involves a thrown decaptitated head.

The action sequences aren't bad. They aren't up to par with Indiana Jones but they still maintain excitement and tension. The performances in this film are borderline camp. None of the actors are ever really serious until they encounter the killer apes that created the original expedition massacre.

For a film that was clearly disliked by audiences and critics (although Roger Ebert found it to be good trash) it certainly did well at the box office. If you haven't seen this film I would say to watch it expecting a fun action/adventure that's not to be taken seriously.

Definitely a great adventure and one of my personal favorites, Congo, brings to the screen a tale set in the African jungles involving an unlikely group that has banded together in search of a lost city and the rare diamonds that are rumored to exist there in abundance. The actors' performances are outstanding, especially Tim Curry whose "Romanian philanthropist" character steals the show. The plot, the jungle ruins, and the battles are all wonderful, making this film one of the best of its kind.
Congo is an action packed movie with strong elements of Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider, therefore, a "must see" for those with a passion for archaeology, mystery and adventure.

With a classic line like that, you cant go wrong.

When a motley crew of scientists, adventurers, treasure hunters, plus a primatologist and his ape, Amy, trek through the Congo in search of the Lost City of Xinj, they discover the legendary King Solomon's Mines. Unfortunately, they have to get through a wall of muscle in the form of an aggressive, specially-bred strain of gorilla guards to get to the diamonds. It's up to the uber-educated Amy (never portrayed by a real primate) to try and use brains over brawn as the greedy group gets torn limb from limb. Look for an especially hammy turn by Tim Curry as a Russian-accented (or is it Romanian?) snake in the grass named Herkermer Homolka (say that three times fast). Based upon a novel by Michael Crichton.

Staci Layne Wilson

I read the book and I watched the movie. I loved them both. I was intrigued by the use of technology in this movie. The characters played well with and against each other. The plot is more or less tightly woven. I can't find any major bloopers. The setting is authentic. This is a good movie to watch if you are interested in these elements.

"Amy, pretty gorilla!" A talking monkey named Amy knows sign language and her mentor wants to take her back home to the Congo in Africa. Watch it 'chica' for the lady who wants to find her ex-fiancee, watch out for the 'Great White Hunter' who isn't white, and the dude who calls himself Herkermer Homolka. All of these people travel together and they encounter a general who commands Homolka to stop eating his sesame cake. "He's a big, bag of stuff!" Yes. They go skydiving and fight a hippo. Oh yeah, remember the ugly gorillas who throw heads and eat all kinds of stuff. You have to witness the ugly gorillas jump into the lava from the erupting volcano, it's hilarity to the maximum. Good movie.

Killer hippos? killer monkeys!? Joe Pantoliano!?!!!? This movie has everything!!! Back in 1995, when this movie hit theatres, I'll bet I was the only person who walked away satisfied. Even after reading the much-more-complete novel, I couldn't be more thrilled with this film.

It has all the elements of the classic high-budget action/adventure film: no real big names (at the time the film was made), the airpline ride to impending doom with the handful of unsuspecting travelers staring blankly out the window, and just diverse enough characters to make them interesting.

The movie opens with the second unit in the deep rainforests of the Congo area of Africa. During a transmission to base, the camp is taken over by what look like gorillas. On the receiving end is a CEO of a telecom firm who was funding the expedition to the Congo. His purpose was to mine a special rare blue diamond that would allow him great advancement in the telecom industry. With him is Laura Linney, another scientist who's boyfriend happened to be on the expedition. Most of the plot points are formulaic, but it doesn't really matter in a movie like this. People want to see killer hippos, erupting volcanos and talking monkeys, and there's plenty of that.

The rest of the hour and forty-five minutes are filled with nail-biting airplane chases, whirring motion-sensored machine guns, and crazy ancient white gorillas who crush human skulls. It's all here folks. True adventure movies are few and far between, and this one's a keeper.

Talk about things on the endangered species list, what about the good old-fashioned "B" movie? You remember, the type of movie you would go see on a Saturday afternoon where the faces of the actors are more memorable than their names, nobody seems overly concerned about the gapping holes in the plot, and there is a thrilling climax. It is hard to find a good "B" movie nowadays ("good" being a relative if not totally ironic term), but "Congo" sure fits the bill.

First, look at the cast. Laura Linney as Dr. Karen Ross has the most impressive body of work in film, but she is certainly the most atypical "heroine" to be seen in an action film for a while (Her secret? The good doctor knows how to pack for every occasion). I am sure I have seen Dylan Walsh, who plays Dr. Peter Elliot, in something else, but I cannot name you the film. Ernie Hudson as "great white hunter" Monroe Kelly is still probably best known as the non-comedian Ghostbuster, and Tim Curry gets to engage in monumental exaggerated acting as Herkermer Homolka the fortune hunter. Actually, it is Curry's performance alone that should key you in to the fact you are not supposed to take this film seriously (although I am sure Michael Crichton's novel was probably not this comic).

The plot has to try and keep up with the four different agendas of these main characters. Dr. Ross wants to find out what happened to her ex-fiancé, who disappeared in the jungle. Dr. Elliot wants to return Amy, a domesticated gorilla he has talk to "speak" using sign language and sophisticated technology, to her home in the jungle. Homolka is looking for the lost diamond mine of King Solomon, which is located somewhere in the jungle. Meanwhile, Mr. Kelly just wants to get everybody out of the jungle alive. The payoff for all these plot lines is a climax in which about a half-dozen independently unbelievable things happen within the space of about five minutes to allow some of our heroes to survive. At that point, plot holes seem the least of your problems as a viewer.

"Congo" is also one of those movies where you can have fun recognizing bits and pieces of your favorite movies crammed here and there into this one (e.g., the sentinel guns from "Aliens"). There is even one of those scenes where everybody starts singing a song together that has been popping up in so many films lately. This is a movie where that thing on top of your shoulder is there for the sole purpose of having a place to put your popcorn, because this is not a thinking person's film. Every once in a while you need to see a "B" movie and "Congo" fits the bill by that standard. If you were expecting a great film, then you are just going to be bitterly disappointed. But if you are sitting in bed going through one box of tissues after another, a film like this is just what the doctor ordered.

I preface all of my DVD reviews with the following note: There are more than enough film reviews on Amazon.com and, quite frankly, it's a bit ridiculous. A person can scroll through scores/pages of reviews without reading a single sentence about the quality of the DVD. If you want to review or discuss a film, go to IMDB. If you're reviewing the DVD, speak to the qualities (or lack thereof) of the audio and video; mention your opinions of the plot, acting, etc. but please don't write an essay!

Now, on to my review of the Congo DVD.

VIDEO (A): If you browse the reviews here on Amazon or read independent reviews elsewhere on the Web, you'll find that the general consensus is that Congo on DVD is near-perfect. Black levels and colors are deep and rich, yet realistic. The transfer has no perceptible flaws; it's clear and smooth and exhibits no grain. It isn't quite as detailed as I'm used to (compared with other Paramount DVDs of early-1990s films, like Clear and Present Danger), but softness is certainly never a problem. I'm just really glad we got a stellar transfer, especially since the film didn't receive much love from critics or the public.

AUDIO (A+): The DD 5.1 track positively shines. The music and dialogue are well-mixed, clear, and expressive. This movie has one of the best soundtracks ever, and thankfully it is taken advantage of throughout the movie/DVD. The excellent sound effects are exploited as well, placing you in the middle of the jungle and action.

FILM (A+): Again, one of many irrelevant escapist films in my collection. As with Speed 2: Cruise Control, people take this film way too seriously, even though it's obvious the film does not aspire to be anything more than a harmless diversion. Hudson and Curry really bring life to this film, and the cast works well in general. Corny jokes, impossible situations, and silly lines, Congo has it all, and it's a wonderful thing. This movie actually has that certain charm seen in jungle-adventure films decades ago; The Ghost and the Darkness is the only film that has come after Congo to give the audience that romanticized "feel" of Africa. The opening minutes of the film blend beautiful shots/scenery with the great Goldsmith score, and the same formula is used in the ending. Kudos to the director for making the audience feel like they are part of the experience...a real audio/visual treat.