Instinct [1999]

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Primary Contributor : Anthony Hopkins
Primary Contributor : Cuba Gooding Jr.

Product Details

Director : Jon Turteltaub
Actor : Anthony Hopkins, Cuba Gooding Jr., Donald Sutherland, Maura Tierney, George Dzundza
Format : PAL
Binding : DVD
EAN : 5017188882170
Number of Discs : 1
Product Group : DVD
Region Code : 2
Release Date : 2006-06-15
Running Time : 118minutes
Studio : Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm

ASIN : B00004R95D

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Anthony Hopkins is a brilliant actor; Cuba Gooding Jr is a talented guy with a lot of charm. Both have recently won Oscars (Best Actor for The Silence of the Lambs and Best Supporting Actor for Jerry Maguire, respectively); neither can make Instinct compelling. Hopkins plays a brilliant anthropologist studying gorillas who entered into their world, becoming part of their family, and who killed two park rangers in the gorillas' habitat. Gooding plays a brilliant young psychiatrist who is supposed to evaluate Hopkins and determine whether he's fit to stand trial. Hopkins, along with a number of other psychotics, is being held at a prison, which serves to illustrate the movie's themes about control and freedom. It's not so much that the ideas themselves are hokum--nature versus civilisation is always a rich topic--it's that Instinct boils them down to inane sound bites. Psychology is reduced to a game in which the psychiatrist's job is to trick the patient into believing the correct thing or revealing the key that will solve the puzzle. There's not a credible moment in the whole movie, despite the presence of a good cast, including Donald Sutherland and Maura Tierney. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

Special Features

English
Region 2

Synopsis

Theo Caulder (Gooding, Jr.) is an ambitious psychiatric who has been asked by his mentor Ben Hillard (Sutherland) to evaluate the case of legendary anthropologist and primatologist Ethan Powell (Hopkins). Powell- a highly educated man who holds an ominous secret in his past- is currently being held captive in a maximum security prison for the critically insane. In an attempt to understand the actions of this headline-gripping madman, Caulder elicits the aid of Powell's estranged daughter, Lyn. Risking his career and his life, Caulder's ambition drives him to find the truth, regardless of the cost. Both men become psychologically connected as their relationship changes from psychiartrist and prisoner to student and teacher.

Customer Reviews

A new perspective (2008-05-11)

Co-existence. Something mankind seems to have lost with his concrete environment and something that plays a key role in the film. From the first moment I was drawn into the story. It speaks to you on so many levels it is astounding. Watch, enjoy and be inspired by the courage of one doctor to return to man in his true form. In harmony with the world and at peace with himself.

awe inspiring ... will make your heart ache (2007-10-31)

This is a deeply moving story about an anthropologist who leaves everything behind and lives with a group of gorillas - we get glimpses of that life later in movie. The beginning of the movie is a portrait of him as a madman, who doesn't speak, and has killed two park rangers. He is transported to the U.S. and awaits trial in a prison for the criminally insane. Cuba Gooding Jr. is a psychiatrist who is trying to get him to come out of his shell and speak. Cuba Gooding Jr's performance is the stand out in this awe inspiring movie. For fear of giving too much away, I won't say much more. I will say, however, that this movie is not so much about the crime itself. It is more about the transforming nature of love and respect and, ultimately, the meaning of freedom. Unlike some other reviewers, I would heartily recommend this film. It is a movie that makes you think. It is a movie that will be on your mind for days and days. It just may transform the way you think.

A Movie that will grab your attention (2007-10-04)

"Instinct," is one of the most emotional and powerful movies ever made. I can't think of any others that even come close to the emotions that it has. It is emotional and thought provoking. Teaches us the meaning of control and what civilization really is. Anthony Hopkins the ability to a typical drama or suspense movie feel like a compelling adventure. This movie is not an action-packed movie. But it will deliver drama with a lot of suspense. It is a movie where ever word must be listen too in order to truly appreciate....but worth ever second of time spent on it.

Deep & Meaningful (2004-09-29)

Having seen previous reviews of this film shedding a negative attitude, I can only suggest that those reviewers are the modern 'plastic' kind who have lost their link to common sense.

All too often the sic, laughable and stupid 'modern' films with no basis of a storyline get raved about. Films as good as this one deserve far more merit than I would give any of the above reviewers.

Watch it, watch it again, and see the reality of the storyline. Look around you at the destruction we have so admirably thrust upon the very soil that gave rise to us mere mortals; for that is what we are - mere mortals.

The only consolation I have is that long after we've gone, nature WILL be here. It does not need us, but we don't see that in our plastic societies.

The acting was sometimes a little out of kilter - agreed, but Hopkins did come across for me as about the only actor in the world who could have pulled it off the way he did.

Congrats to the producers ... please let us have more of this type of film. It is entertainment - just not the blood and guts everyone seems to want!

Not convinced. (2004-08-11)

I watched this film in a state of unease, for it is unconvincing. Anthony Hopkins is not speaking to anyone after doing a bit of Gorillas-in-the-mist-style bonding with apes. Cuba Gooding Junior starts to get through to him and eventually gets the truth about his past from him.

Very sentimental and very pro-conservation this film bends reality to prove its point. Every turn is heavy handed and will have many audiences, zoologists, and psychologists screaming at the films many'Oh come on' moments. Hopkin's relationship with his daughter was the only bit I liked.

Cynical viewers should steer well clear.

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