John McTiernan’s Genre-Bending Flop: ‘Medicine Man’ (1992)

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#9 in my Ranking of John McTiernan films.

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but reflect on the intriguing journey of John McTiernan following the success of The Hunt for Red October. Eager to transcend conventional action filmmaking and establish himself as a serious auteur, he took up a script brimming with contemporary themes, re-united Sean Connery (who was clearly eager to be part of this project, given his executive producer credit), and even brought on board Lorraine Bracco, fresh from her Oscar-nominated performance in Goodfellas. However, despite the promising blend of potential and talent, the final product didn’t quite meet expectations.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve found myself grappling with the label “romantic comedy” for the film, Medicine Man. While it certainly has its comedic moments and a hint of romance, it seems to deviate quite extensively from these genres. Instead, it weaves an intricate web of medical mystery, environmental message, and rainforest exploration.

Now, can a movie successfully blend elements from multiple genres? Absolutely, and numerous masterpieces have accomplished this feat flawlessly. The secret lies in crafting strong, standalone segments while skillfully intertwining these disparate components. Regrettably, Medicine Man fails to achieve this harmonious balance.

Dr. Robert Campbell, played by Connery, has spent six years conducting research for a pharmaceutical company within the Amazon rainforest. He requests additional resources and an assistant during his visit to the company. Entering the scene is Dr. Rae Crane, portrayed by Bracco, who takes on the role as Campbell’s research assistant and assesses the company’s potential investment in his work.

Campbell has stumbled upon a cancer cure, yet he cannot reproduce it, which sets up the two main storylines of the film. The first is the initial antagonistic relationship between Dr. Campbell and Dr. Crane that eventually blossoms into love. The second involves their joint quest to locate Peak 37 on a chromatograph’s readout by extracting a flower from the rainforest canopy, creating a compound from it to reproduce the elusive cancer cure.

The initial tale has a foreseeable plotline and seems peculiar due to the significant age gap between Connery and Bracco. However, I won’t let that spoil my appreciation for the movie. The unique aspect is that their relationship evolves not on romantic grounds but through their professional connection. Their frequent disagreements can be excessive at times and may not be as charming as the writer intended. The medical enigma plotline is initially captivating, but it over-emphasizes the solution, making things monotonous as we anticipate the bright characters to match up with the less intelligent audience. Lastly, the “save the rainforest” narrative emerges early in the film, fades for most of it, and resurfaces towards the end, adding unexpected peril that feels sudden and unprovoked.

In a more conversational tone:

The first story is predictable and a bit strange considering Connery and Bracco’s huge age difference, but I won’t let that affect my opinion of the movie because their connection isn’t based on romance but rather their professional relationship. Their constant bickering can get over-the-top at times and aren’t as endearing as the writer seems to think they are. The medical mystery part is engaging, but it gives away the solution too often, making things dull as we wait for the clever characters to catch up with the audience who appears less intelligent. Lastly, the “save the rainforest” angle appears early, then disappears until much later in the movie, and reappears close to the end, introducing a sudden surge of physical danger that feels out of the blue.

Structurally, the film exhibits a peculiar charm due to the intriguing background of Dr. Campbell. This character harbors a hidden dark secret that adds depth and complexity to his role. His past becomes more evident when he takes Dr. Crane to meet the village’s medicine man who disappeared after Dr. Campbell cured someone with Alka-Seltzer. He seeks resolution for his mystery, although we as viewers already know the answer (the sky flowers’ magic). However, this quest for truth leads to a detour as they wait for new samples to ripen over three days.

The movie is overloaded with too many elements, yet most of them don’t deliver effectively. The medical mystery aspects, in particular, crumble. It seems as though the director is aiming for a more serious tone, reminiscent of John McTiernan’s attempts at movies like The Color Purple or Empire of the Sun. However, he picked the wrong story to achieve this. The outcome is quite disappointing and somewhat disheartening.

Rating: 1/4

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2025-01-28 00:30