Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Sabah Hensley This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Geoffrey DeLeons This movie could have been great: An outstanding human being defends a part of the natural world at all odds. Instead, we get a mediocre film that has questionable ethics. My first impression, when Fossey arrived in Africa, was: Who is she? What motivates and compels her? Why is she interested in the mountain gorilla? How did she hear about the conference she met Leakey at?The film needed to include some footage and treatment of her teaching her human students and explaining how this relates to her decision to abandon that type of job for one on anthraopological study. This is never approached in the film, and I spent the entire film wondering who Dian Fossey was.It was the gruesome content that repelled me, though: I did not need to see the scene where the gorilla tribe was killed and butchered. The people who are most likely to watch this film are those who care about animals, and they are not going to be entertained by seeing the aforementioned animals slaughtered. What I found most appalling, though, even worse than the scene where the gorilla tribe is killed, is when Fossey surrenders the baby gorilla to the poachers. At this point, I lost all respect for her, and most particularly, for screenwriter Anna Phelan and director Michael Apted.Immediately after they nail the boards of the box cage the baby gorilla is in, they are seen by a river, joking, smiling, sexually cavorting and smoking cigarettes.While I do appreciate Fossey's work with the gorillas and her attacks on the tribe of thugs that poached them (for centuries), the heart of this movie is in question: It was a brutal and insensitive portrayal of a rare communication between man and animal that could have been delightful and inspiring. Hollywood just couldn't resist the opportunity for more violence and single-dimensioned characters, though.

Leofwine_draca One reviewer called this film 'superficial' and I can't really disagree with him: it tells a simple, true-life story about a white woman who pioneered research into the life of mountain gorillas in darkest Africa. There isn't a great deal or depth or moralising here. Instead, what you see is what you get - an interesting, evocative and sometimes compelling story of mankind's relationship with nature.The film has strengths and weaknesses evenly distributed. Of course, the gorillas are the real stars of the show here (no disrespect to Sigourney Weaver, turning in another Ripley-esque tough-as-nails performance) and whenever they're on screen, the film comes to life. The film isn't afraid to tug at the heartstrings when poachers come into the plot, but that's fine by me.Where the film doesn't work is in its attempts at Hollywood convention. The real life of Dian Fossey - including her mysterious death - just doesn't tie up neatly into a package. Hence we get the shoehorned-in romantic subplot involving an extraneous Bryan Brown. Nonetheless, GORILLAS IN THE MIST is worth seeing and far more enlightening than most nature documentaries you see on TV any night of the week.

Lee Eisenberg Even if you have no idea who Dian Fossey was, "Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey" is still amazing. Sigourney Weaver perfectly captures the spirit of the woman who sought to save Africa's mountain gorillas from extermination by human encroachment. It was eye-opening to see her go from an all-American babe (needing her bras in the jungle) to a politicized woman living with the gorillas.The end brings up a question: just who was it? Even if we never find out who specifically did it, it just goes to show that various factions wanted her out of the way.All in all, this is a great movie, one that I recommend to everyone. Once again, Michael Apted (of the "7 Up" series" and the never-released-on-video-or-DVD "Stardust") shows himself to be a great director. Also starring Bryan Brown.

angela_atton256 Every time I watch this film it makes me realise that we take things for granted. I think that Miss Weaver played this part very well and deserved every award that she got for this film. I always cry at the end because it makes me feel very annoyed that the other tribe killed the lady for studying the gorillas. I think that every body played an excellent part in this film. When the gorilla digit died i was very upset and annoyed at the directors of this film, i thought that they could not show this bit and that the film could be shown to a much lower audience. On the whole, I think that this is one of my all time favourite films.