Not much better are “Congo’s” numerous performing apes, which, despite the best efforts of makeup and visual effects master Stan Winston, are transparently people in state-of-the-art monkey suits. Screenwriter Shanley, a well-known playwright and an Oscar winner for “Moonstruck,” must have dozed through the creation of this one, filled as it is with soggy retorts and plot points that range from preposterous to plainly incomprehensible. Summarized this way, “Congo” sounds acceptable because it doesn’t indicate how flabby the film’s execution is. Under the guidance of Monroe Kelly (Ernie Hudson), who, in a typically feeble line of dialogue explains, “I’m your great white hunter, though I happen to be black,” this group is fated to encounter a bunch of apes with bad attitudes that place their plans and their lives in considerable jeopardy. * Herkermer Homolka (the reliable Tim Curry), a self-described Romanian humanitarian who is in reality an adventurer searching for the lost city of Zinj, the site of King Solomon’s fabled diamond mines.

* Peter Elliot (Dylan Walsh), a gentle, tree-hugging primatologist who feels so guilty about having taught a gorilla named Amy to talk that he has decided to return the creature to her jungle home. Travis (Joe Don Baker), mysteriously lost on a similar mission.

* Karen Ross (Laura Linney) of communications giant TraviCom is searching-who knows why-for flawless blue diamonds as well as her ex-fiance, the son of surly boss R.B. Once it gets sorted out, “Congo’s” core plot involves several characters with diverse motives who end up on the same charter plane to Africa’s heart, the Congo region:

The congo michael crichton