VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

XoWizIama Excellent adaptation.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

loomis78-815-989034 American college student Jane Chase (Shue) lands a job at a seaside British Mansion. Her job is with Professor Phillips (Stamp) who is doing research on chimpanzees. Jane is introduced to an old circus Orangutan named Link who doubles as the house butler and a younger one named Imp. When Link overhears that the Professor has plans to put him down, the over smart Ape kills one of the other chimps and soon after the Professor turns up missing. Jane must match wits in a battle to survive with Link on the rampage. Hitchcock enthusiast Richard Franklin brings his nice Directorial style to this slightly odd story written by Everett De Roche. The movie takes a little while to get going and isn't very gory or bloody. This is an exercise in action and suspense and Link does very well in this department. Elisabeth Shue is believable as young Jane; But Stamp sleeps through his role and looks like he is waiting for his paycheck to arrive. Some ambitious photography and just the right amount of suspense make this an entertaining film, but not a scary one. Jerry Goldsmith's effective score ads to the fun.

lost-in-limbo Jane Chase a young American grad student studying at London Institute of Science takes a job as an assistant/housekeeper for anthropology professor Steven Philip at his isolated country house on the coast. There she would meet Philip's chimpanzees Imp and Voodoo, and very well trained orangutan Link. Here she would learn how to act around them, so when the professor has to go somewhere. He knows nothing will happen. However one-day Philip suddenly disappears and Jane notices that Link's behaviour is becoming more assertive, as he cuts off any chance of her escaping.What is a series of effective set pieces make up this simple minded, but extremely tight and conniving cat and mouse monkey on the loose thriller. The Australian pair of director Richard Franklin and writer Everett de Roche (who both brought us "Patrick", "Road Games" and "The Visitors") does an able job of giving the film a professional touch, but the real stars of the show are the monkeys themselves. Trainer Ray Berwick does a splendid job of milking out the personalities and acting abilities of these chimps. Link's blank facial expressions are downright unnerving, because there's a real sinisterness hiding behind that placid (and well-dressed) frame! Roche's minimal set-up for the screenplay is truly inspired for what is a systematic exercise, while slowly letting the mysterious factors of story unfold and leaving the characters dangling there as they realise what's actually happening. Streaming through the script is a dry sense of humour that fitted right in, but there's a real vagueness surrounding certain details that really do stick out. Franklin's interesting direction is visually adept and the steady pace constantly builds the suspenseful situation, where it finally takes off in a rapid, nail-biting final half. The violence is not particularly graphic, with most of it off screen. He also uses the Victorian setting of the mansion within the gorgeously secluded backdrop to take shape and become a formidable presence. Underrated cinematographer Mike Molloy's atmospheric and abstract framing was that of high quality and the reliable Jerry Goldsmith flavoured score captures the right bounce with its ever-changing tenor of styles. The adorably bold Elisabeth Shue (just her second role after "The Karate Kid (84)" and showing some skin) is agreeably strong and convincing. The always-fine Terence Stamp, gives a subtle off-wired performance that was probably a little too short and abrupt.

Jonathon Dabell Director Richard Franklin is a bit of a Hitchcock borrower. He wrote and directed the sequel to Psycho, wrote and directed the Hitchcockian Road Games, and here he tries out a Hitchcock style thriller about a lone woman trapped in a maze-like mansion with danger round every corner. The thing which destroys this movie is that the danger in question is supplied by some scientifically tampered monkeys who live in the house, under the observation of scientist Terence Stamp.Monkeys? I hear you cry! Yes, monkeys! A bunch of psychotic chimpanzees are the principle bad guys in this film. At this point, you suddenly stop wondering what delightful Hitchcockian surprises director Franklin has up his sleeve, and you begin to try hard not to let laughter seize you. How can the film possibly hope to succeed with such an inane and insane plot? How can it hope to scare you witless with such cute and cuddly animals in the role of the villains? How can a talented director and stars be working on such a ludcrous project as this?The truth of the matter is that Link is a misjudgement by all concerned. It is Franklin's worst film, Shue's most embarrassing and Stamp's laziest ever performance. Still, at least the monkeys look cute and cuddly!

dbdumonteil The cast,featuring a young Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp,was appealing.But,as for the latter,he does his stint,then collects his money quickly ,as if he wanted to get out of this drivel as soon as possible.Anyway,he was miscast:Stamp needs excessiveness,he cannot do anything with a straight character.The "cultural" intro is de rigueur in these "experiment" movies,here Stamp bestows on us a whole lecture ,complete with pay-attention-I'll-ask-you-some-questions-next-week.It seems that the humans are very strange and that everybody's got something to hide except for Elisabeth and her monkeys.The humans leave the stage for a while,and the beautiful girl is on her own ,on her planet of the apes.The movie is then crawling along at 20 and it becomes boring.The Kinks' "Apeman" signals the boys' arrival and the slow-moving "psychological" suspense becomes a ape-like "Friday the thirteen".Best avoid.