Congo (1995)

Directed by Frank Marshall. Starring Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh, Ernie Hudson, Tim Curry, Joe Don Baker, Grant Heslov, Joe Pantoliano, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Delroy Lindo, Bruce Campbell. [PG-13]

A team sent by a telecommunications company disappears in central Africa while searching for a rare blue diamond; Linney tags along on a primatologist’s (Baker) expedition to return a gorilla to the wild so she can find out what happened to them. Laughable jungle adventure isn’t even close to being a good movie, but it’s not usually a boring one either; instead, it’s a sneaky comedy that can be laughed at with the sort of relish that many other bald-faced laffers fail to inspire. Here we have a person in a gorilla suit wearing a “glove” that lets it speak when using sign language; also finds time to skydive, drink martinis and smoke cigars. If this doesn’t spark interest, stay far away, but for all others, rest assured there’s plenty more. A diamond-focused laser saws through killer apes; Curry trots out a ridiculous Romanian accent and goes nuts with it (he says “lost city of Zinj” about a half-dozen times, always with tremendous brio, always hysterical); a poor sap literally gets scared to death looking at a gorilla; Linney uses a flare gun to blow up an incoming anti-air missile; and cold-hearted CEO Baker, when asked if he’s human, gets to loudly retort, “I’ll be human later!” The only one who gets to have fun while keeping his or her dignity is Hudson, who brings a droll, Ronald Colman-esque zest to his jungle guide role. A movie that’s indefensible on any intellectual or artistic level, but why would anyone have expected otherwise? It’s adapted from a Michael Crichton book, after all.

53/100