<P> Of 59 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 88% are positive, with an average rating of 7.4 / 10 . The consensus reads: "The plot's a bit of a jumble, but excellent performances and mind - blowing plot twists make 12 Monkeys a kooky, effective experience ." By comparison, Metacritic calculated a 74 out of 100 rating, based on 20 reviews . Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B on an A+ to F scale . </P> <P>--Peter Stack, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle </P> <P> Roger Ebert found 12 Monkeys' depiction of the future similar to Blade Runner (1982; also scripted by David Peoples) and Brazil (1985; also directed by Terry Gilliam). "The film is a celebration of madness and doom, with a hero who tries to prevail against the chaos of his condition, and is inadequate", Ebert wrote . "This vision is a cold, dark, damp one, and even the romance between Willis and Stowe feels desperate rather than joyous . All of this is done very well, and the more you know about movies (especially the technical side), the more you're likely to admire it . And as entertainment, it appeals more to the mind than to the senses ." </P> <P> Desson Thomson of The Washington Post praised the art direction and set design . "Willis and Pitt's performances, Gilliam's atmospherics and an exhilarating momentum easily outweigh such trifling flaws in the script", Thomson wrote . Peter Travers from Rolling Stone magazine attributes the film's success to Gilliam's direction and Willis's performance . Internet reviewer James Berardinelli believed the filmmakers had an intelligent and creative motive for the time - travel subplot . Rather than being sent to change the past, James Cole is instead observing it to make a better future . Richard Corliss of Time magazine felt the film's time - travel aspect and apocalyptic depiction of a bleak future were clichés . "In its frantic mix of chaos, carnage and zoo animals, 12 Monkeys is Jumanji for adults", Corliss wrote . </P>

Who are the army of the 12 monkeys