A series remake of Terry Gilliam’s decades-old Bruce Willis/Brad Pitt movie, “12 Monkeys” follows a man sent from 2043 to prevent the plague that decimated Earth’s human population in 2017.
The movie’s screenwriter, David Webb Peoples (“Blade Runner,” “Unforgiven”) is not involved; the new series is scripted by the team of Travis Fickett and Terry Matalas, who also wrote for the terrible time-travel series “Terra Nova.”
Not to damn it with faint praise, but “12 Monkeys” is a lot better than “Terra Nova.” I even deem it DVR worthy, but I do think it will prove more popular among those who have not seen the 1995 motion picture.
While the movie suggested changing the past was impossible, the TV series demonstrates the flow of time can be altered. In some ways, the new Syfy franchise resembles Bruce Willis’ newer (and excellent) time-travel movie “Looper.”
... I watched seven episode of "12 Monkeys," which means I was interested enough to go beyond the first couple of hours and see how the season progressed, and I've given it a DVR season pass so that I can theoretically watch more. But I keep asking myself, will I actually do so? Will "12 Monkeys" pile up on my DVR until I guiltily delete subsequent installments months from now? It's possible. …
... a well-made TV show with a lot to recommend it. …
... Perfectly paced, smartly adapted and studded with moments of philosophy and emotion, “12 Monkeys” is a capable and addictive addition to television’s doomsday Weltanschauung and SyFy’s still-struggling lineup. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... It’s another dreary conspiracy thriller that’s more dull than thrilling. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... It’s too bad SyFy didn’t invest more in a better script and direction. … the series could have been better instead of being pretty much a waste of time. …
… the new “12 Monkeys” ruthlessly exploits our patience. If you know someone who can time travel, please ask him or her to go back a few years and tell the makers of this flat remake to either step up their game or abandon the project.... a powerfully stupidity-ridden vision of poorly done science fiction, an inexcusably generic take on the movie. …
... The problem, as always, is that the time-travel element can be disorienting from a narrative standpoint, especially with Cole popping back and forth between his reality and ours …
9 p.m. Friday Syfy
