History Film / TwelveMonkeys

** [[spoiler:Dr. Peters]] first appears at Dr. Railly's lecture and at the autograph session, tells her that he believes that doomsayers have a point about the Earth falling to the destruction caused by mankind. Later, it is revealed that [[spoiler:Peters]] is the assistant to the doctor, who created said virus.

** [[spoiler:At the very end of the story, it is [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] when James gets over his [[HeroicBSOD mental breakdown]] and tries to attack Peters, which ends with him dead and Peters still alive to spread the virus.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Jose’s survival being mentioned in the lecture on doomsayers when he could have been a good sacrificial lamb hints he’ll show up again.

** Jose at first seems just like a guy to give Cole some [[MrExposition exposition]] on forced volunteering. Then, he shows up on the WW1 battlefield to highlight the the multiple missions and dangers of time travel. [[spoiler:Finally, he shows up at the end as the messenger to force Cole onto the suicide mission.]]
** Also, there are three protestors, who initially seem unimportant but later show up helping [[spoiler:Jeffrey.]]

* AllJustADream: Probably not, but possible. There are some hints:

** 2. There are a lot of similarities between the present prison and the past hospital. Most notably the guards and panel of doctors from each timeline. Plus the time machine is strikingly similar to the CT Scanner the camera focuses on for longer than seems necessary.

** A rather creepy but otherwise not very important character is introduced midway through who [[spoiler: turns out to be the guy who spread the virus.]]
** Jose at first seems just like a guy to give Cole some chatting time with and for exposition on forced volunteering, then we see him on the WW1 battlefield to highlight the dangers and the multiple missions and finally he shows up at the end as the messenger to force Cole onto the suicide mission.
** Also the three protestors who initially seem uninvolved with Jeffrey but later show up helping him.

* HereWeGoAgain

* ShoutOut: Cole and Railly attend a Hitchcock movie marathon just before they go to the airport.

* ApocalypseHow: A killer virus, released by a mad scientist.

%%* CuckooNest
* DemotedMemories: Late in the film, Cole starts to believe he really is just an escaped schizophrenic and not a time-traveler.

* Temporal sickness: The process of time travel seems to cause psychological harm. Cole shares rumors with Jose that the other inmates who GotVolunteered for the trip wound up in the psych ward. His own trips through time seem to strain Cole's mind.

* EiffelTowerEffect: Philadelphia's skyline, particularly [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Place Liberty Place]], is seen quite a bit, it's also rather large.

* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: The longer James stays in one timeline, the more he begins to doubt his memories of the other one.

* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler:Ultimately, James does not stop the virus and dies in front of his child self.]]

* PopulationControl: Suggested by the fact that Cole lives in an underground city with limited resources, and his rap sheet lists "anti-social sex" as an offense.

* SoleSurvivingScientist}}: Several of them serve as the BigGoods.

* {{Doomsayer}}: Several of these, who may or may not be time travelers who have gone insane.

* TheEndIsNigh: One of these people stops his ranting to address the main character whilst in [[TheNineties '96]]. It's implied that many doomsayers are actually time travelers scattered throughout history who have gone insane.

* TrackingChip: The main character is told that he has a tracking chip in his teeth.

* ChekhovsGunman: A rather creepy but otherwise not very important character is introduced midway through who [[spoiler: turns out to be the guy who spread the virus.]]
** Jose at first seems just like a guy to give Cole some chatting time with and for exposition on forced volunteering, then we see him on the ww1 battlefield to highlight the dangers and the multiple missions and finally he shows up at the end as the messenger to force Cole onto the suicide mission.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Jose’s survival being mentioned in the lecture on doomsayers when he could have been a good sacrificial lamb hints he’ll show up again* GaiasVengeance: The purpose of the virus is to restore the natural world by eradicating mankind. The Army of the Twelve Monkeys, an AnimalWrongsGroup, are the culprits. [[spoiler:[[RedHerring Only they aren't]]. The real culprit is a creepy assistant in ChristopherPlummer's virology lab.]]

* {{Sole surviving scientist}}: several of them serve as the BigGoods.

* GaiasVengeance: The purpose of the virus is to restore the natural world by eradicating mankind. The Army of the Twelve Monkeys, an AnimalWrongsGroup, are the culprits. [[spoiler:[[RedHerring Only they aren't]]. The real culprit is a creepy assistant in ChristopherPlummer's virology lab.]]

* ChekhovsGunman: A rather creepy but otherwise very important character is introduced midway through who [[spoiler: turns out to be the guy who spread the virus.]]

* SpoiledByTheFormat: [[spoiler:Some versions of the movie have subtitles that label the voice on the recording [[spoiler:"Kathryn's voice"]], despite Cole specifically saying the voice was unidentifiable later in the movie.

* CassandraTruth: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]. Cole can't get people to believe that he's from the future and needs to find the virus sample to same humanity.

* SocietyMarchesOn: The depiction of 1990s airport security is accurate. Today, [[spoiler:Dr. Peters]] would never have gotten the vials past them. Likewise, in a post-9/11 and PATRIOT Act world, a virologist with top level clearance suddenly taking a trip around the globe to many of the world's major ports would've raised flags to the FBI, Homeland Security, and numerous other agencies. And Railly's accusations about him at the airport would've been investigated no matter ''how'' crazy she seemed. Likewise, Railly bought airplane tickets in cash twenty minutes before boarding, which would raise massive red flags today. And they would need photo IDs to even get near the security line post 9/11, so the disguises would be useless.

* BilingualBonus: The French soldiers in the WW1 scene are not subtitled.

* MessianicArchetype: James Cole's initials are no coincidence. [[spoiler:He gives his life trying (and failing) to stop TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, but his work provides a complete sample of the virus so the scientists of the future can create a vaccine. See RayOfHopeEnding below.]]

* SocietyMarchesOn: The depiction of 1990s airport security is accurate. Today, [[spoiler:Dr. Peters]] would never would've gotten the vials past them. Likewise, in a post-9/11 and PATRIOT Act world, a virologist with top level clearance suddenly taking a trip around the globe to many of the world's major ports would've raised flags to the FBI, Homeland Security, and numerous other agencies. And Railly's accusations about him at the airport would've been investigated no matter ''how'' crazy she seemed.

* AirVentPassageway: The absurdity of this in real life is lampshaded when Cole vanishes from a locked room, the only other exit from which is a air vent that has not been forced open and into which he could not possibly fit.

* MisplacedWildlife: Cole encounters a lion in the city while collecting samples in the future. [[spoiler: Releasing zoo animals was the Army Of The Twelve Monkeys' real plan.]]

* AnimalMotifs: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Monkeys]].

* ApocalypseHow: Class 2.

* CassandraTruth: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]].

* DepravedDentist: Cole inflicts this on himself because he believes that they track time travelers with devices implanted in their teeth. [[spoiler:A subsequent conversation with another time-traveler implies he was right, but that they're able to locate Cole without his teeth, and the time traveler is confused as to why Cole pulled them out in the first place.]] It also seriously confuses the crook whom Cole had beaten up earlier:
--> Hey... is that the cops? I'm an innocent victim in here! I was attacked by a coked up whore and a - a fuckin' crazy dentist!

%%* DownerEnding

* IdiotBall: The airport security guard. When a scientist has a specially sealed case and tells you the vials inside contain "biological samples", what in the name of sanity would make you want him to ''open'' it?
** Especially if one can see that there is nothing but colorless gas inside.
%%* JustBeforeTheEnd

* NonIndicativeName: As [[CausticCritic Mr. Cranky]] asks in his review, "[[EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys Where are the monkeys?]]"
* NoTellMotel: Cole and his psychiatrist visit one to work out just what the hell is going on with their lives in privacy.

* OnceMoreWithClarity: [[spoiler:The ending is a repeat of the beginning, cluing the audience in that the film is a StableTimeLoop.]]
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Dr. Railly pronounces "advertisement" in a way no American ever would. Ironic since the actress, Madeleine Stowe, is American.

* RapeAsBackstory: The prison board briefly lists Cole's criminal record, which includes "antisocial sex." It's not elaborated upon, but he has violent episodes throughout the movie. While there's never any sign he intends to rape anyone...
** PopulationControl: Given that he's living in an underground city, there would have to be restrictions on the size of the population. It could just be having sex without using birth control methods, an "anti-social" act as it ignores the common good.

%%* ShootTheShaggyDog

%%* StableTimeLoop

* [[{{Spoiler}} Subtitles Always Spoil]]: Some versions of the movie have subtitles that label the voice on the recording [[spoiler:"Kathryn's voice"]], despite Cole specifically saying the voice was unidentifiable later in the movie.
* TeamTitle

* [[{{Irony}} Tragic Irony]]: [[spoiler:"I've done my job, I did what you wanted. Good luck. I'm not coming back."]]

%%* TheVirus
%%* WhatYearIsThis

''12 Monkeys'' is a 1995 science fiction film directed by Creator/TerryGilliam and written by [[Creator/DavidWebbPeoples David and Janet Peoples]]. It was based on the famous short French experimental "Film/LaJetee". It stars Creator/BruceWillis, Madeleine Stowe, and Creator/BradPitt, who won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor; Pitt was also nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.