I am no stranger to film, having seen and analyzed all of the greatest films of our generation, from "The Godfather", to "Apocalypse Now", to "Citizen Kane". These films were amazing yes, with stunning cinematography, amazing acting, and beautifully written scripts. But none of these films have left me in awe like this film did. I had seen many chimp-based films in the past, from "Most Extreme Primate" to "Spymate", and with this I had no expectations of anything exceptional or good from this film. But I was mistaken. This beautifully irreverent satire of the classic propagandist spy film demonstrates that our generation is truly in a new renaissance of cinema, with this beautiful piece of artwork serving as our pièce de résistance, our Mona Lisa, our Sistine Chapel. This film gives me confidence, not only in the future of film, but in the future of society as a whole. In a world where art seems to be held second to corperate pandering and American consumerism, this film stands alone as a beacon against the tide of sellout films concerned only with money. And it not only stands alone, but it fights back against the tide, with its brilliant usage of satire and dry humor. It gives us, the viewer, an enthralling plot full of action and suspense, but does not focus on the action as many movies do, but instead focuses on the complex interpersonal relations between Minkey; a chimp spy who was tortured and experimented on by the United States government to transform him into a ruthlessly efficient killer, and unwittingly used as an instrument of American interventionism during the Cold War, until the Soviet Union discovers him, and the US government decides to abandon him, with his life only being protected by his partner, Mike, another US agent who struggles throughout the film between his brainwashed loyalty to the United States government, and his moral compass, in a similar way to the character Joker in the Kubrick film "Full Metal Jacket". The film shows the pair fighting for a cause that is morally ambiguous, doing the dirty work for a country that doesn't care for them. Another great central character is Mike's daughter, Amilea. This masterfully written character demonstrates a sense of total naivety, being unaware of the moral ambiguity and horrors that are truly present in the world. She is coerced by Dr. Farley--another great character--to help him build a weapon of mass destruction in the name of "science", and is central in the fight of moral ambiguity shown in the film. Overall, this chimp film had me in awe, and I will definitely be seeing this another few times. Thank you Robert Vince for delivering me this masterpiece.
