In
1911, three men are floating in a lifeboat in the middle of the
Pacific Ocean following the wreck of the ship
Lady Vain. One dies at sea. After seventeen days at sea, the two remaining survivors land on an
island, where one is killed by
animals. The last survivor,
Lady Vain's
engineer Braddock, is nursed back to health in the compound governed by the
scientist Dr. Moreau. The other inhabitants of the compound include Moreau's associate,
mercenary Montgomery; Moreau's mute, misshapen servant, M'Ling; and Maria, a young woman. Moreau warns Braddock not to leave the compound at night. Moreau welcomes Braddock as an honoured guest and shares his
library. One day, Braddock witnesses Moreau and Montgomery manhandling a chained creature who is not human; the island is home to more than just this one. They are the hybrid products of Moreau's experiments upon various species of wild animal. Moreau is injecting them with a serum containing human genetic material as part of his goal to perfect life. At times, the human/animal hybrids still have their animal instincts and do not behave like a human. This enraged Moreau; who Braddock witnessed
whipping a
Bear-Man for this reason. That night, Maria goes up to her room to find Braddock in it. They then consummate their mutual attraction; failing to see Moreau spying. The following day, Braddock takes a
rifle and leaves the compound, determined to see how the hybrid creatures live. He enters a
cave and finds several of them. The Sayer of the Law, an
Ape-Man, speaks the three laws the scientist passed on to them: no going around on all fours; no eating of human flesh; and no taking of other life. A
Tiger-Man attacks Braddock; only to be captured by Montgomery. Moreau has the Tiger-Man dragged to his
laboratory which the man-beasts call "the House of Pain" as punishment for breaking the law. Braddock objects to Moreau's
oppressive treatment of the man-beasts. Moreau replies by lecturing his views of
compassion as a weakness and humanity's
superiority over animals, and justified himself by saying how eating flesh would revert the man-beasts further and cause them to turn on humanity. He injects the Tiger-Man to humanize him further. A
Bull-Man objects to the laws, believing it is better to be an animal. In a tantrum, he kills a
tiger; provoking Moreau who leads a
hunt. Braddock finds it in the jungle, badly injured, where it begs him to kill it rather than return it to the lab. Braddock shoots it. This angers the man-beasts as Braddock has broken the law of killing. Outraged by Moreau's oppression, Braddock prepares to leave the island with Maria. Moreau stops them and straps Braddock to the table in his lab. He then injects him with another serum so that he can hear Braddock describe the experience of becoming animalistic. Caged, Braddock struggles to maintain his humanity. When Montgomery objects to this treatment and threatens Moreau's life, Moreau shoots him with a
pistol. M'Ling reveals Montgomery's dead body to the man-beasts who turn on Moreau; realizing he was a
fraud who was just using them. Moreau is mortally wounded at the compound's gate while trying to whip his attackers into submission. The man-beasts, overpowered by their anger, go on a rampage; seeking to
wipe out humanity. Braddock (still struggling to remain human), Maria, M'Ling, and the still-coherent and benign beastfolk servant women stave them off. Braddock resists killing Moreau, who dies of his injuries. Braddock uses the corpse as a diversion so they can escape through the compound. Eventually, the man-beasts break in and the compound is burned. In the chaos, the wild animals which Moreau kept for his experiments are turned loose and a battle ensues between them and the hybrids. Most of the man-beasts are killed by the animals or consumed by the fire, including the Sayer of the Law's. During their escape, M'Ling risks his life to save his companions from a lion and both fall into a pit trap. Braddock and Maria float away in the lifeboat that Braddock arrived in, but are followed by the
Hyena-Man, one of the last man-beasts. In the ensuing battle, Braddock kills the Hyena-Man with a broken oar. Sometime later, they see a passing ship, and the serum has worn off, returning Braddock to his full human state as Maria looks on with changed, feline eyes. ==Cast==