 Tagline: He turned his back on civilization. Only to discover he had the power to save it. Academy Award winning star Sean Connery (Bets Supporting Actor, 1987 – The Untouchables), reunites with action director John McTiernan (The Hunt For Red October, Die Hard) for another powerful collaboration in the heroic box office smash, Medicine Man! Screen favorite Connery plays Dr. Robert Campbell, a brilliant but unorthodox scientist racing against time in his bold research for a cure against cancer. Set deep in the forbidding Amazon rain forest, this action-packed hit follows Campbell hot on the trail of an amazing discovery – but the eccentric recluse soon finds himself caught in the midst of an explosive adventure! Also starring Oscar nominee Lorraine Bracco (Best Supporting actress, 1990 – GoodFellas), Medicine Man delivers unmatched entertainment with its spectacular mix of breathtaking scenery, captivating performances and thrilling, nonstop excitement! Storyline: An eccentric scientist working for a large drug company is working on a research project in the Amazon jungle. He sends for a research assistant and a gas chromatograph because he's close to a cure for cancer. When the assistant turns out to be a "mere woman," he rejects her help. Meanwhile the bulldozers get closer to the area in which they are conducting research, and they eventually learn to work together, and begin falling in love. Written by Ed Sutton Cast Notes: Sean Connery (Dr. Robert Campbell), Lorraine Bracco (Dr. Rae Crane), José Wilker (Dr. Miguel Ornega), Rodolfo De Alexandre (Tanaki), Francisco Tsiren Tsere Rereme (Jahausa), Elias Monteiro Da Silva (Palala), Edinei Maria Serrio Dos Santos (Kalana), Bec-Kana-Re Dos Santos Kaiapo (Imana), Angelo Barra Moreira (Medicine Man), José Lavat (Government Man). User Comment: discogoth from Toronto, Canada, 9 December 2001 • When this movie came out in 1992, many critics seemed to feel that it was mediocre, or average at best. Even as a hardcore Connery fan I avoided the film simply based on a handful of reviews I had read in the media at the time. Fast forward nearly ten years and the mixed reviews here on imdb reinforced my apathy towards the film. It wasn't until I borrowed a copy through a local library that I finally watched the movie just now, and I fail to see why it's supposedly not up to par. I thought it was a fine film in most respects: the storytelling was good, the dialogue was snappy, the cinematography was wonderful, and it had a positive message. It's not an action movie, but I never felt bored at all...if anything, it was a refreshing change of pace and scenery, and Sean Connery continues to astound me with his versatility. His acting was superb, which is not really a big suprise, but he seemed more into this role than some others I've seen him in. Even the wig and ponytail looked real! Like a lot of other people, I found Lorraine Bracco's character quite annoying, almost insufferable at certain points, but that's the whole point: her character is supposed to be like that, and the truth is that if she didn't come across as so irritating then that would have been failed acting skills on her part. I think she did a great job at being annoying, which is what she was supposed to do. I imagine that if you took some ivy league lab rat scholar and dumped them right in the middle of a situation and place that's totally foreign to them, you'd probably get a reaction like the one she portrayed. I found the two leads had a good chemistry, and the constant tension and conflict between them was very convincing and helped to propel the story along. All in all an enjoyable film, but some of the other aspects could have and should have been expanded. I felt that they spent too much time searching the trees for the plant they needed, and the whole conflict with the developers was thrown in at too late a juncture. These aren't major failings however, so I'd recommend the film to anyone looking for something a bit different, and it's a must for any Connery fan. Don't wait ten years to see it simply because some critics didn't think it was a masterpiece. Screw the critics! Summary: Solid rainforest drama. User Comment: kate1031 from United States, 3 May 2005 • In this day and age of too much reality, this movie shows reality on a grand scale. Toned down with a romantic story. Connery and Bracco are a matched team working in harness, plus the fact of the disappearing rain forests, allows this movie to work for me. I have seen it 9 times in the past 13 years and each time it is a pleasure to watch. Goldsmith's score is the icing on the cake. This is a believable plot. But then I was raised up on movies since 1935 and I wish there were more movies like this. The scene in the trees is like a ballet. There is a real story here and I personally like the whole mix. Summary: Shows reality on a grand scale. IMDb Rating (03/14/15): 5.9/10 from 16,063 users IMDb Rating (06/02/01): 5.8/10 from 1,620 users
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