Instinct (1999)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Instinct (1999): Dir: Jon Turteltaub / Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Cuba Gooding Jr., Maura Tierney, Donald Sutherland, John Ashton: It's Hannibal Lector in Africa comparing animal instincts to that of humans. Anthony Hopkins abandons his family to study gorillas in Africa. He abandons civilization and remains among gorillas for two years until he is taken prisoner for murder. Nothing is resolved in the nitwit conclusion and it would seem unfit that anyone would choose to live in the wild as oppose to be with their family. Family situation is loosely handled and the screenplay throws in unnecessary subplots including treatment of prisoners. It isn't surprising when Hopkins nearly kills an inmate due to mind screwing by guards. Directed by Jon Turteltaub who previously made two very different and more enjoyable films in While You Were Sleeping and Phenomenon. Hopkins is basically reciting his famed Lector role, which distracts any potential message. Cuba Gooding Jr. plays a flatly written psychiatrist who tries to make a difference. Maura Tierney is wasted as Hopkins's daughter who is destined to remain scratching her head at it all. Donald Sutherland is featured as a judge and that is a big reduction after all his great leading roles. More African footage would have been preferred over its blatant courtroom appeal. Trust your instincts and avoid this film. Score: 2 / 10

I can't believe I had never seen this movie until now! I am not at all a strong writer, and have never reviewed a movie, but watching this film made me want to write a review so here it is!Both Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding, Jr. really nailed their parts in this movie. As I write this, I'm realizing that I have no idea how to review a movie.The pace of the movie was great, and never leaves you bored. It isn't overly suspenseful, but by no means is it boring. Each scene flows well from one to another.Very intelligent, thought provoking, and heart-wrenching film, brought me to tears on at least 3 separate occasions!

A drama involving relationship with animals has everything to be pretty clichéd and predictable, but happily, "Instinct" isn't. Cuba Gooding Jr. is a psychiatrist who tries everything in his power to understand why Ethan (Anthony Hopkins' character) is so violent and mute. Some people have stated Hopkins' acting in this picture is great; for the first 30 minutes his character didn't speak a word, so I was ready to ask you guys if you find it hard to act without saying any words-- but fortunately, after he starts speaking we can notice how good he is. Some people also have complained that Hopkins' repeated his classic character from "LAMBS"; I may agree they're similar characters, but we can see some differences between them. I find the conversations in this movie very well written, and they helped the story to flow, delivering an engaging and entertaining film. Of course I noticed how Hollywood it is when they stated that prison was a "maximum-security prison" when actually they have only 3 or 4 incompetent officers a lá "Scream" series. All in all, "Instinct" is an interesting picture involving human nature and our relationship with animals, nature.. and humans!

A lot of reviewers have made the pat/rushed judgment that this film is an amalgamation of "Gorillas in the Mist" and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest." They miss the point. This is not an environmental activist story, and although it does touch on the theme of societal control, its focus is much more on the individual's perception of self within the social construct. That said, it is imperfect and suffers somewhat from a handful of melodramatic scenes (mostly with Gooding front-and center). But the intent of the film--as with the novel from which it is taken--is to instill questions within the viewer regarding the illusions we in our affluent, materialistic Western society hold regarding ourselves and our collective and individual senses of freedom, individualism, and control. As such, certain moments that some viewers proclaim improbable--such as Hopkins' exit scene--are intended to be allegorical more than realistic. This requires the viewer to rise above literalism, which many American viewers often find difficult to do, given American cinema's tendency to shy away from allegory and stick with more profit-producing formulae.