Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

October. 18,2003      NR
Rating:
5.6
Trailer Synopsis Cast

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of horror, the duality of mankind and the darker side of late Victorian society. Dr Henry Jekyll (John Hannah), a great scientist, handsome, and renowned throughout the scientific community, is developing a formula that will revolutionise human nature by isolating criminal elements. He experiments on himself and intoxicated by the drug he undergoes a monstrous transformation. He is released from conventions of the social order and his own moral code into euphoric, remorseless wickedness - the villainous Mr Hyde. What follows is the gripping and terrifying stuggle of two opposing personalities battling for the soul of one man...

John Hannah as  Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
David Warner as  Sir Danvers Carew
Gerard Horan as  John Utterson
Kellie Shirley as  Mabel Mercer
Jack Blumenau as  Ned Chandler
Brian Pettifer as  Poole
Ellie Haddington as  Florrie Bradley
Mel Martin as  Rachel Carew
Tilly Vosburgh as  Mabel's mother
Ifan Meredith as  Dr. Arthur Lanyon

Reviews

Alicia
2003/10/18

I love this movie so much

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UnowPriceless
2003/10/19

hyped garbage

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Ariella Broughton
2003/10/20

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

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Bob
2003/10/21

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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scathbeorh
2003/10/22

The acting is superb, the story-line flawless, the filming beautiful and creepy. This is a 'sleeper,' and, sad to say, one which was made for television and not wide release. But any die-hard fan of Horror or Mystery can't afford to let this one go by the wayside.Think you know already the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde? I thought I did as well, and went into the film with an incredulous, nothing-else-to-watch attitude. But, as happens on occasion, my bad attitude was rewarded with surprise after surprise, and with an ending to this masterpiece that was/is deeply consoling and faith-building (to say the least).Plenty of bloodshed, classic British 'Dickensian' actors, prostitution, mob violence, brooding introspection, blackmail, self-licking lollipops, and the love of a wonderful Christian girl who should be, because of her circumstances, a hardened, angry person incapable of any feeling whatever.Don't miss this one!

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Robodok
2003/10/23

I checked out this version of J&H on TV mainly because I'm a fan of John Hannah, but he was very disappointing in this role. It was his affability that made him a treat to watch in films such as 'Sliding Doors' and 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', and it is that very trait that undermines his portrayal of Mr Hyde. He is completely unconvincing as a menacing, dangerous figure, and the decision not to present Mr Hyde as physically different from Dr Jekyll exacerbates this problem, although it is an interesting choice artistically and could have paid rich dividends in the hands of an actor capable of projecting a truly intimidating presence. Also, his acts of barbarity, which are obviously meant to be shocking, don't have the desired effect; this is partly because of our familiarity with the story, but more so because of the lack of any real tension or suspense of any kind. Not only does Mr Hyde not seem as menacing as he is meant to be, but Dr Jekyll never convinces us that he was a paragon of virtue in the first place, due to inadequate exposure in the screenplay as well as the underwhelming acting and direction. The performances from the supporting actors likewise feel rather wet and unconvincing.It seems to me that the theme of this film was that there truly was no difference between Jekyll and Hyde, and that it was Dr Jekyll who deliberately chose evil. This point is made repeatedly in several repetitive scenes where Dr Jekyll keeps talking about "removing impurities" and that in the end he will "contain evil", and the servant Mabel time and again discusses the fact that we are able to choose between good and evil. This might have been an interesting subject had is been dealt with more subtly. The battle between the good and evil sides of a person also became more ridiculous as it became more explicit, and the resolution seemed to be designed more for its non-existent shock value than for any faithfulness to either the tale as it was originally told or to the tale as it had been told thus far in this film.Even if, or maybe especially if you are a fan of John Hannah, stay clear of this film if you want to avoid being disappointed on all levels.

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sophie_lou21
2003/10/24

A shorter comment then usual: Since it's release in the scandalise period of the Victorian era, Robert Louis Stevenson's novel DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE has been a chief member of the classic horror monster stories. Along with Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, Mr Hyde joins the nightmare monsters that you wouldn't want to run into alone at the witching hour. Of course, after so many remade versions and far too many endless remakes, the world is all too aware who Mr Hyde is, and has gradually become a parody of itself.DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (2003) here is the best version so far as it takes the book and expands it in a way that it matches and in some cases, out does the original story. Bringing horror, fear and yet complete pity for Dr Jekyll into the equation, this film is hands down the best adaptation of the book. John Hannah (Sliding Doors, The Mummy and Four Wedding and a Funeral) plays Dr Jekyll, the young, kind, thoughtful and yet distressed doctor who finds himself a victim to his own desire to separate good from evil. Hannah is Dr Jekyll as much as Dr Jekyll is Mr Hyde. The way that John Hannah was able to show the split personality of the troubled doctor is amazing and Jekyll's slow decent into madness. While his appearance doesn't change, a darker side of Dr Jekyll in the form of Mr Hyde takes control and Jekyll is unable to stop it. His useless attempts to convince himself that it was Hyde, and not him that commits the crimes makes you pity him and feel for him all the more, the fact that he doesn't realise he is Mr Hyde.I urge everyone who had read the book or is a fan of the classical horror genre track this down on DVD and watch it. It's a treat to see an original and un-clichéd version of this classic horror thriller.

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RG4CA
2003/10/25

I was weary to watch this film as I am a huge fan of the RLS novella "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." In my opinion, there have only been two actors to properly play the character(s): John Malkovich in "Mary Reilly" and Fredric March in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." I was weary to watch this because I saw a TV movie made about 13 years ago that starred Michael Caine. It was probably the worst intrepretation of Henry and Edward that has ever been presented. Then I heard of a new version starring the drunk swindler of the "Mummy" movies. I was scared to death. Having just watched it last night, I am still trying to find a way that any Jekyll & Hyde film in the future can outdo this one. John Hannah was phenomonal. He truly makes that viewer pity and hate his Jekyll. That's right, his JEKYLL. The film makes sure that the viewers are left no easy questions to answer. While I still think that "Mary Reilly" is the best Jekyll & Hyde film to date, this version makes more complex decisions, like having no physical distinction between the two characters. It's all a state of mind. There is no Edward Hyde, just Henry Jekyll left with no inhibitions and a twist of wickedness. All of the supporting characters, especially Mabel and Sir Danvers, are beyond exceptional. The way they portray events from the novel, such as the beating of the girl, the death of a main character, Jekyll's seclusion, Hyde's nature, are done differently from the novel but effectively none the less. A few things added, most of all the relationship between Jekyll and Mabel, bring the film to a level of brilliance that other past adaptations have failed to reach. I encourage everyone to see this film as soon as possible. Now I just have to wait for the DVD.

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