In Terry Gilliam's Twelve Monkeys there is a very ironic scene near the end which really sums up the entire film. Co-stars Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie at a festival. What's ironic is that while Hitchcock thrills you while making sense, Twelve Monkeys thrills you while making no sense at all.

This is a very strange, complicated movie. You either exit wishing you had understood it, or leave wishing you really cared. The violent, image-based film follows the adventures of James Cole (Willis), a prisoner from the future who must find the source of a deadly virus C one that destroyed almost all of mankind in 1996. On his quest from the future to the past, recent past and present, he gains the help of Dr. Kathryn Railly (Stowe), a psychiatrist who must decide whether Cole's claims of the future are real, or just his imagination. Also in the mix is a madman, Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), who is the leader of a secret group called the Twelve Monkeys. Most of the film has Cole trying to tie the group to the source of the deadly virus. The weird part is that while the movie ends predictably, I really couldn't tell you about many details.

Not that the film doesn't have a lot going for it. Director Gilliam and the other producers of Twelve Monkeys were smart C they got huge box office stars to play the roles. Actually, not only are Willis, Stowe and Pitt major Hollywood stars, they also are excellent actors.

Twelve Monkeys is designed for those who like to think while watching a movie. There are two problems with this concept, however. One is that the movie doesn't make much sense. The other is that most people go to movies not to think. Most people want to be entertained C not confronted.

Overall, it's not worth your money. Instead, rent it when it comes out on video so you can pause and rewind all you like. You know, in case you actually want to attempt to know what's going on. Good luck