The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996 film)

The Island of Dr. Moreau is a 1996 American science fiction horror film, the third major film adaptation of the 1896 novel The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells. The film was directed by John Frankenheimer​ (who was brought in half a week after shooting started) and stars Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis and Fairuza Balk. The screenplay is credited to the original director Richard Stanley and Ron Hutchinson.

The production was notoriously difficult, marred by issues with the cast, harsh weather, and a skyrocketing budget. Bruce Willis was originally hired to play Edward Prendick, but allegedly dropped out as he started divorce procedures from Demi Moore, his wife at the time. Willis was replaced by Val Kilmer, who made his availability limited, and later had anger issues with most of the cast after also being served divorce papers on set. Then actor Rob Morrow quit because of script rewrites. Also, Marlon Brando's role as Dr. Moreau was supposed to be expanded, but after his daughter, Cheyenne, committed suicide, he retreated to his private island, leaving the film production in limbo, not knowing when or even if he would show up. Brando also didn't want to learn his lines, so he requested them through an earpiece. Finally, original director Richard Stanley was dismissed by New Line Cinema after problems arose during production, including a major hurricane, with John Frankenheimer being brought in to replace him. The film received generally negative reviews and was considered a box office bomb.

In 2014, the documentary Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau was released. It covers Richard Stanley's experiences while he conceived and developed the project, his time as director of the film and the aftermath of his departure and the effect it had on the cast and crew and overall film.

Plot

In 2010, United Nations negotiator Edward Douglas (David Thewlis) survives a plane crash in the Java Sea and is eventually rescued by a passing boat. Aboard, a man called Montgomery (Val Kilmer) tends to him. After telling him the boat has no radio, he promises Douglas the captain will take him to Timor after dropping him off. However, when they arrive at Montgomery's destination referred to as "Moreau's Island", he instead advises Douglas to stay with him, ostensibly so he can use the radio on the island.

Montgomery unloads a shipment of rabbits at a pen, and one runs away while he slaughters another for Douglas's meal. They then head on to the Main House where Douglas is warned not to wander. There, he meets a daughter of Dr. Moreau's called Aissa (Fairuza Balk), but Montgomery turns him away from her and leads him to his room. On the way, they discuss how Moreau vanished after becoming obsessed with his animal research. Montgomery locks Douglas in his room, but he manages to escape that night. He then comes across the camp's lab where he witnesses the birth of a mutant baby, belonging to and delivered by human-animal hybrids. He is noticed, escapes, and runs into Aissa who leads him to the village of the mutants. On the way, they find the partially eaten corpse of a rabbit, not far from a leopard hybrid called Lo-Mai (Mark Dacascos). At the village, they find the Sayer of the Law (Ron Perlman) whose Law preaches "being human" in terms of restraint and discipline. Dr. Moreau (Marlon Brando), referred to as "The Father" by the mutants, appears. He controls the villagers by using a remote control that causes pain through an implant under the creatures' skin. Moreau forces the village to hand over Douglas only to peacefully take him to the House to discuss the situation.

Douglas, Montgomery and Moreau gather and he introduces his hybrid "children" and later dine. Then, he explains his creations: he fused animals with human genes in search of a higher being, incapable of harm. The existing Beast Folk are imperfect, but Moreau claims to be "closer than [Douglas] could possibly imagine" in his quest. Moreau's "son" Azazello (Temuera Morrison) comes in with the rabbit, to the disgust of Moreau, who abhors killing. When he learns of the eaten rabbit, he promises that there will be a trial the next day. Douglas tries to escape by boat, but finds it overrun with rat-like creatures and gives up.

At the trial, Azazello unexpectedly shoots Lo-Mai. His body is burned and a mutant called Hyena-Swine (Daniel Rigney) comes, notices the pain implant among his remains, then removes his own. Montgomery reveals to Douglas that in addition to the pain, the animals are controlled through regular drugging to prevent them from "retrogressing". Hyena-Swine shows off the removed implant, and so Montgomery sets the other beasts after him. Meanwhile, Douglas tries to contact the outside world, but Montgomery sabotages the radio, and Aissa reveals to Moreau that she is regressing, as she grows cat-like fangs and ears.

Hyena-Swine and his trackers (now on his side and also free of implants) break into the House and confront their Father. Angry over their hybrid nature and no longer under his control, they reject humanity and the Law and kill Moreau. His children grieve, except for Azazello, who steals Montgomery's gun and goes to join the savages. Aissa informs Douglas that he can stop her regression with a serum from the lab. However, it turns out Montgomery has gone insane and destroyed it. Douglas also finds samples and a file with his name on them, and finds out that Moreau was planning to use his DNA to stop Aissa's regression permanently, completing his experiments. Montgomery becomes the new "Father", mimicking Moreau's costume and voice. Meanwhile, Azazello leads the savages to the armory.

Under Azazello's guidance, the savages arm themselves with assault rifles and take over the island. Azazello shoots Montgomery at the village and Hyena-Swine's faction rampages around the island. Azazello and his allies hang a now cat-like Aissa and capture Douglas. Having served his purpose, Azazello is shot dead by Hyena-Swine after bringing Douglas to him. Douglas manages to survive by telling Hyena-Swine to impose his leadership as "God Number One" by turning on the others in his faction. During the battle, Douglas escapes, Hyena-Swine's henchmen are all killed, and he is shot. Fatally wounded and rejected by his fellow beasts, Hyena-Swine walks into a burning building to die, wondering aloud why Moreau created him.

The Sayer of the Law and Assassimon see off Douglas as he prepares to leave the island. Douglas offers to help cure the beast-folk of their regression, but the Sayer of the Law tells him that the hybrids want to return to their natural state of being, which is "better" than the semi-human condition that Moreau tried to force upon them. In closing narration, Douglas reflects on the savagery that also emerges in humans and claims that he returns to humanity "in fear".

Cast

- Marlon Brando as Dr. Moreau, a mad scientist who created the Beast Folk.

- Val Kilmer as Dr. Montgomery, a former neurosurgeon who is a vet on Dr. Moreau's island.

- David Thewlis as Edward Douglas, a U.N. agent who gets left to die in the middle of the ocean and comes to the island.

- Fairuza Balk as Aissa, a beautiful cat-like hybrid and Moreau's "daughter" who looks more human than the other hybrids.

- Daniel Rigney as Hyena-Swine, a vicious hyena and pig hybrid.

- Temuera Morrison as Azazello, a dog-like hybrid and Moreau's "son" who is assigned to find the hybrids.

- Nelson de la Rosa as Majai, a miniature version of Dr. Moreau who doesn't speak.

- Peter Elliott as Assassimon, a baboon-like hybrid who is the only primate hybrid and Five Finger Man. Vocals provided by an uncredited Frank Welker.

- Mark Dacascos as Lo-Mai, a leopard hybrid who is accused of breaking the laws (suckling water from a stream, walking on all fours, and eating flesh).

- Ron Perlman as Sayer of the Law, a blind goat-like hybrid who is the priest-like figure among the hybrids.

- Marco Hofschneider as M'Ling

- Miguel López as Waggdi

- William Hootkins as Kiril