Michael Crichton's novel, on which this adventure is based, tried to do for gorillas what his Jurassic Park did for dinosaurs. But, under Frank Marshall's bland direction, this trek-through-the-jungle yarn is a disappointingly old-fashioned affair that lacks any sense of wonder. The plot, combining a lost civilisation, a highly intelligent gorilla that's been taught communication skills and venal scientists after diamonds for a laser gun, is a lacklustre no-brainer, and the movie scrapes the bottom of the fantasy barrel in terms of credibility, dire acting and clichéd special effects.

Eight people embark on an expedition into the Congo, a mysterious expanse of unexplored Africa where human greed and the laws of nature have gone berserk. When the thrill-seekers -- some with ulterior motives -- stumble across a race of killer apes.