Basic Instinct is a high-class porno with a plot. Sure, it features A-list actors with a big name director and screenwriter, but it's still a porno. It stars Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone and is based on a script by Joe Eszterhas (Sliver, Showgirls) and directed by Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Total Recall). This is a review of the Director's Cut version of the DVD, which I'm sure is much more graphic than the original theatrical release. There is no way some of the sex scenes in this would have only gotten an R rating.

This movie opens with a gratuitous sex scene that ends with the woman tying the man's hands to the bed and then stabbing him a couple dozen times with an ice pick. You never see the woman's face. This first scene establishes the theme for the rest of the movie: excessive sex and violence. Writer Eszterhas and director Verhoeven have made a career of movies like this and Basic Instinct is perhaps the most famous.

Sharon Stone stars as an author who writes murder mysteries that appear to be based on real events. Her latest book is about a woman who seduces a rock star and then murders him. The man killed in the beginning of the movie happens to be a former rock star and Stone's character was his girlfriend. Michael Douglas plays the lead investigator on the case and is immediately smitten by Stone's beauty and seductive nature. She uses this to play mind games with him, all the while taunting him along as the details of the case slowly unfold. Even worse, she is working on a new book about a woman who seduces a police detective, then kills him.

Michael Douglas plays a character with a violent past in that he accidentally shot some tourists a few months before this story begins. As part of his deal the with police department, he must undergo anger management therapy. This establishes him as being an impulsive character who doesn't always think before he acts. He also must face more temptation from his sexy therapist, played by Jeanne Tripplehorn. When he gets involved in a love triangle between the two women, the plot thickens.

The whole murder mystery aspect of this movie is pretty well written, though I think it was a little predictable. It does have a few nice surprises that keep you guessing down to the last frame of the movie. The real reason to watch this movie is to see Sharon Stone sizzle on screen. I can't think of a leading female role that was ever so hot and Stone plays her deliciously evil character so very well. Even though she's beautiful and appears nude in half her scenes, the best parts of her role are when she is fully clothed and playing mind games with the boys. Michael Douglas is great as the detective, but that should be no surprise. He's great in pretty much everything he does, and he's made a career of playing men that are manipulated by strong women (see also: Fatal Attraction and Disclosure).

Verhoeven's direction is good with this movie and he manages his actors very well. Given his penchant for gore and violence (especially Robocop) I thought he was a little restrained. Douglas and Stone have said the sex scenes were so specifically choreographed that they were a chore to perform. Yeah, right! The opening scene where the guy gets ice picked reminded me of the famous shower scene in Psycho. Any praise that the Verhoeven/Eszterhaus team may have earned for this movie was negated when they got together again to make Showgirls.

Despite being excessive on several levels, Basic Instinct is a pretty good movie. The DVD has a few nice extras on how the movie was made and includes Stone's screen tests with the director. Talks of a sequel have been floating around for years and I heard some progress was finally made in getting it done, but it's anybody's guess as to when it will actually begin filming.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age