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Instinct is about Ethan Powell an anthropology professor who went missing for two years.  He disappeared while watching and learning about a group of gorillas.  When the Professor Powell is found it is in a jail because he killed one or more of the country's police Rangers.  Powell is returned to the United States and must be evaluated for competency to stand trial for the murders he was charge with.  After the missing time the professor seemed more like an animal than a man and refused to speak and would not acknowledge even his family.  A psychology intern named Theo Calder at the university the Prof.  Powell hails from is given the chance to bring the Powell around, to communicate again and determining if he is fit for trial, but Calder's motivations change quickly.

Instinct ranges from tense psychological thriller to feel good freeing of the spirit film.  It is well blended, well thought out, and well executed.  The performances are properly captivating and the audience is led along on the trail of discovery of the Prof.'s missing time at just the right pace with good focus switching between the past and the present.  There is some predictability and the characters don't always stand out as different than others in similar or parallel types of stories.

It's hard to tell in most of their scenes if the exteriors are very African looking.  Props, and likely studio shots do add the foreign feeling necessary to believe that they are seeing an expedition to watch gorillas.  The interiors are fine and well chosen.  They don't feel overdone or contrived.  The incidental actors and their characters fulfil their parts and despite deserving mention they do not shine too much.  The stars are convincing and tend to be engaging Sir Anthony Hopkins was a wise choice for the role of Prof. Powell, and Cuba Gooding Jr. comes across well as Calder.

( Thank you for reading my review.
Bob Male)

All ideas, opinions, and information are from the reviewer and are not representative of any company or group involved with the creators and/or staff of the materials being reviewed.