Michael Caine as Doctor Jekyll: Good Acting, Bad Storytelling and Terrible Make-up
Added 1/27/2009
Oscar winner Michael Caine plays Henry Jekyll, one of the iconic characters in British literature in "Jekyll & Hyde," a 1990 made-for-TV film. Perhaps the filmmakers thought the original book by Robert Louis Stevenson was so famous that the new film needed a new angle to tell this story once again. So in this revised version Dr. Henry Jekyll appears as an eminent surgeon who is in love with a married woman Sara Crawford played by Cheryl Ladd. The film even has one scene where Michael Caine's doctor is seen kissing Cheryl Ladd's character in the park in broad daylight. But is this supposed to be a romantic story?
Maybe. Anyway, as a thriller, the film doesn't have a single moment of suspense. The disjointed screenplay doesn't know what it really wants to show us. Yes, we all know the secret identity of Mr. Hyde (here arsonist and murderer) from the beginning, but that doesn't mean the writer can dispense with suspense in telling the story. Instead of focusing and developing the story of "Jekyll & Hyde," the film spends so much time on flashbacks and supporting characters (including a gossipy lady, a sleazy reporter and even Jekyll's father played by Lionel Jeffries) which are all unnecessary. In fact, the film's credits say it has "derived from" the original story, and I can understand why they used this expression.
Even worse than the inconsistent script and misguided direction of writer/director David Wickes is the terrible make-up of Mr. Hyde, which makes him so conspicuous among the Victorians that the detectives from Scotland Yard (including Kevin McNally, regular of "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise) start to look stupid, always unable to catch this culprit roaming in the street.
I like Michael Caine (nominated for Emmy and Golden Globe for the role he played here), and he turns in a strong performance as a tormented doctor, but the film itself remains uninvolving throughout.
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Plot additions and a more graphic Mr. Hyde
Added 10/7/2004
Michael Caine plays Dr. Jekyll, and he doesn't disappoint. He is a more mature doctor, which is closer in line to Stevenson's original.
Since John Barrymore's silent film, Hollywood has added the female element to the story. (The original story has no female "romance" at all. The only females are servants, passer-bys, a little child, and all the main characters are un-married men.)
Cheryl Ladd plays the sister of Dr. Jekyll's deceased wife. Her father is Dr. Lanyon, and because he blames Henry Jekyll for his daughter's death-although she died of pnuemonia, for which there was no cure at the time, there is an added element of dissention between them.
With an actress as attractive as Cheryl Ladd, there is of course a romance that develops between her and Michael Caine. But it does not detract from the story. In fact it adds a layer of humanity to Dr. Jekyll. Jekyll becomes a happier individual not only in the scenes with her, but also in the relationship with his medical students whom he lectures.
But of course Mr Hyde eventually takes over the personality of Jekyll.
The special effects of the transformation are more graphic than other versions. This Hyde is a more deformed creature than his processors. His violence and depravity is also more evident.
There is a surprise ending too, which is in line with the story.
If I took off a point it was only for the graphic depictions of Mr. Hyde. I suppose the argument could be debated that the director David Wicks wanted to show the complete opposite of the gentle Dr. Jekyll, but the sea of broken necks and backs left in Mr. Hyde's wake can be a bit much at times.
Overall, an excellent adaptation and one that should be of interest to fans of the Jekyll/Hyde canon.
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Excellent!
Added 7/21/1999
The script for this story adds a few more human elements than the other versions. The tensions between Dr. Jekyll, his father-in-law and his romance with his sister-in-law along with the Hyde conflict adds to a complex drama. Michael Caine and Cheryl Ladd were both excellent in these roles. When I saw this movie, I had to go out and buy it then I had to read the Stevenson book!
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