It's hard to believe that the same guy who wrote Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Time Line and Eaters of the Dead (The 13th Warrior) wrote this container of once used fetid dog food. The premise of the story is bad enough, i.e., apes who learn American Sign Language are able to vocalize through technology but moreover, they retain arcane knowledge that is revealed in their art. But, hey. It's fiction-- even if it's bad fiction. So, for what Crichton was able to do so imaginatively for Jurassic Park fell on its face in this one. OK. Who wins them all? But, then Congo the movie shows up at the theaters and I'm dumb enough to buy a ticket. Whereas the book merely stunk, the movie reeked. Laura Linney was lovely but miscast as a corporate mercenary, Dylan Walsh was completely unbelievable as the primatologist and then the usually wonderful Tim Curry was dreadful as the eccentric Homolka. And, it goes down from there. Storywise, corporate greed in the background of Central Africa's unstable, violent and often brutal politics. My advice is don't rent it and you're watching it on TV on the late show or a rainy day, see if you can find an old rerun of I Love Lucy. It'll be much more entertaining and so much better written.
