The previous reviewers of this film had me going forward in watching the movie, so I'm giving them credit for it. But they're dead wrong on this one and we're
different universes (some fake things as well). "The Fifth Monkey" can provide laughter due to its silliness as an adventure film that is more unintenionally hilarious than thrilling; campy
moments and situations that are actually amusing (the court scene is one of those moments). I was truly hoping for one of those 'so bad it's actually good movies' but it wasn't all that.
And for the life of me I didn't see any Ben Kingsley ninja as most people keep talking about; it was wooden action and I was sorry for him.
On the other hand, the joke was on me, maybe for taking it to seriously and for trusting the only featured reviews here, which are highly enthusiastic (if not, troll stories and wording).
I doubt they're from Brazil, otherwise they'd look this with a different look (my case). It was filmed here, it's a Brazilian production along with Menahem Golan and truth be told that our
money was wasted here - shame on you Fabio Barreto for wasting the talents of Vera Fischer, Milton Gonçalves and Paulo Villaça in this thing that seems to be downsizing us as people, only
hihglighting our nature and animals. 1990 was the beginning of the end of Brazilian cinema due to lack of funds destined for culture and the little cinema made at the time was thanks to
foreign influence, which made a brutal impact that only changed in 1995. This film is a mock on Brazilian and for the life of me I couldn't understand how one foreign stranger can make
thousands of people from many different backgrounds speaking his language when there are times there are people speaking Portuguese, and Kingsley does it at times.
"The Fifth Monkey" has a mystique side to it that almost conquered thanks to a simple foundation: here's a man who hunts snakes and after being bitten by one and almost dying, he's saved
by four monkeys who'll change his erratic way of life. The hunter, played by Sir Ben, has only one purpose here which is to marry a beautiful woman (Mika Lins) who seduces all men she can get but she'll
only marry the one who fills her pots with money. The monkey business, well, might give him the chance to marry her but obstacles comes his way when the monkeys are too attached to him,
causing problems and confusion whenever they go.
So, here's a movie that could be a serious work if its was an ecological adventure instead of a story about a selfish who barely changes in the course of the movie. He only gets benefits from
his chimpanze mates, supernatural goods as well to the point of enchanting a rich woman for a brief moment. The movie drags on and on with minimal dialogue (a bunch of one-liners messed up,
had it been a Schwarzenegger movie then I'd probably like more because at least his one-liners are always great), with ridiculous moments that it's hard to feel for the characters.
As for the monkeys, those were first rate. True class act and the quintet (though only four appear on the screen for time to time since Kingsley IS the fifth ape of the title) was stupendous. The scene
when the monkey #3 finds gold is pure magic.
In the words of Michael Kelso, 'those monkeys were really good actors'. Too bad the movie is a waste, not of their talents but from almost everyone involved with it. 4/10
