Dom Robinson reviews

Distributed by
Pioneer LDCE

Cat.no: PLFEB 34131

Cert: 12

Running time: 104 minutes

Sides: 2 (CLV)

Year: 1995

Pressing: 1996

Chapters: 16 (8/8)

Sound: Dolby Surround

Widescreen: 1.75:1

Price: £24.99

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Director:

Frank Marshall (Arachnophobia, Alive)

Producers:

Kathleen Kennedy and Sam Mercer

Screenplay:

John Patrick Shanley (director of "Joe Versus The Volcano")

Music:

Jerry Goldsmith

Cast:

Karen Ross: Laura Linney (Primal Fear)
Peter Elliot: Dylan Walsh
Monroe Kelly: Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters 1 and 2, Leviathan)
Herkermer Homoika: Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue)
R.B. Travis: Joe Don Baker (Cape Fear, Goldeneye)
Moira: Mary Ellen Trainor (Executive Decision, Die Hard, Ricochet)
Charles Travis: Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead trilogy, Adventures of Brisco County Jr.)

From Michael Crichton, the author of "Jurassic Park", comes "Congo" the story of gorillas in the jungle in which YOU become the endangered species... making for obvious comparisons to be drawn with the aforementioned dinosaur-starring classic.

Following the discovery of a new civilisation in a remote part of the jungle by Charles Travis and his crew, they are promptly bumped off by an angry mother gorilla.

So the scene is set for Peter Elliot, a man who has taught a younger gorilla to talk; Karen Ross, played by Laura Linney, one-time girlfriend of Richard Gere, in the Laura Dern-type role seeking to find out what exactly went on, especially as a favour to her boss R.B. Travis, the father of Charles.

Also along for the ride is Tim Curry as Herkermer Homoika, a Romanian version of Richard Attenborough's authoritative figure who five years ago led a disasterous expedition looking for the city of Zinj which resulted in the deaths of most of his party.

The question remains: does the city of Zinj really exist, as Homoika seems to think? After all, he's been looking for it the whole of his life; or is it, as Monroe Kelly seems to think, nothing more than a myth? If it really does then everyone will be very rich considering it's a massive diamond mine...

Picture quality is very good, with colours coming through well, and the sound is first-rate with surround sound coming into its own any time gorillas make themselves heard to all concerned, and an unexpected explosion at the airport packs a meaty punch at exactly 24 minutes 30 seconds into side one. Also the sound of the finale certainly sorts out the men from the boys so to speak.

The aspect ratio is approximately 1.75:1 (no ratio is stated on the sleeve) and nothing appears to be missing from the sides, but no doubt the film would have been screened in cinemas masked to 1.85:1.

No theatrical trailer is included on the laserdisc which would have been nice, and a few more chapters would have helped to break up some of the longer ones.

For computer owners, a PC CD-ROM game has been released to rave reviews entitled "Congo: Descent Into Zinj".

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1996.