Splice - A Nova Espécie

Splice was a movie that had a lot of promise. It seemed to be building towards something special, but got lost in an unnecessary plot thread that didn't quite work towards the end. THis specific plot started with a scene involving the creature and the character played by Adrian Brody, and it was a scene that didn't quite work because there wasn't enough of a build up towards something like that happening. Sure there were some scenes leading towards that, but in my opinion those scenes were not enough to take such a major step forward, not after he first showed disgust towards the creature at the earlier phases of its development. On top of that the movie goes even farther into absurdity at the conclusion, involving the character played by Sarah Polley and the creature again, taking much of the intelligence of the film out of the equation.

In my opinion, the director was onto something in the beginning but then took the story into an unnecessary direction that might've still worked if there had been some real build up to those points which led to the conclusion. Sure there were some signs, but really not enough. Instead the movie ends in what can only be called a total WTF moment, and it doesn't work at all. Not a horrible movie, but only average and not recommended.

The cinematography is good, the CGI is good enough to believe in the story, the acting is also good.

But in the end, I didn't like much the story. Simple as that. Is not that the characters make stupid decisions, like I've read in other reviews, the characters make cense, but I just didn't like them and didn't care about them.

It's definitely not a bad movie.

Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) are scientists of the Newstead Pharmaceutics researching the splice of DNA from different animals to form new genetic beings and find medical benefits to mankind. They have just created the hybrid Ginger and Fred and now they intend to join together human DNA to alter the genetic structure of their experiment. When the senior management calls off their experiment, they decide to secretly proceed and they generate a life form with human characteristics. They call it Dren (Delphine Chaneac) and Elsa is very fond of their creation that grows up fast and showing intelligence. When the company shutdown their experiment, they bring Dren to Elsa's abandoned farm and the scientists raise Dren like a daughter. But when it reaches adulthood, the sex drive of Dren is activated and Clive and Elsa learn that they have a serious problem to resolve.

"Splice" is a dramatic sci-fi horror film with the story of two young unethical scientists that decide to play God. The plot is unoriginal but is attractive and engaging, specially because the trio formed by Sarah Polley, Adrian Brody and Delphine Chanéac. The childhood trauma of Elsa is absolutely out of the context and a diversion to the mainstream. The special effects and make-up are awesome, transforming the gorgeous French actress Delphine Chanéac in a creature with an exotic beauty. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Splice – A Nova Espécie" ("Splice – The New Specie")

Splice centres on two renowned young scientists (Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley) that are quasi-famous for successfully creating a new species of animal, a species with enormous pharmaceutical industry potential in the form of an ability to secrete profitable proteins. Despite a refusal by their company bosses to approve the next stage of the project, or anything that tampers with human DNA, their ambitions lead them to create a human-animal hybrid by combining human genes with those of the created species. This in turn leads to the creation of a new entity they name Dren, which they raise and attempt to study as a personal project concealed from their employers and colleagues.

The story becomes highly engrossing as we follow the creature's development alongside that of the two scientists, who are in a relationship that becomes increasingly strained by a series of ethical and logistical dilemmas. The two central performances are well-judged, but the real star is Dren; or the CGI responsible for her creation, which is always convincing and solid at all stages of the creature's evolution. Vincenzo Natali's visually intense direction is also worth mentioning, and he clearly enjoys playing with a generous budget as compared with his previous features like Cube.

This is, however, no modern masterpiece – the plot becomes predictable and contrived in the final third, the minor characters are little more than stereotypes (lax young brother, venal bosses) and the comedic elements of the film don't always sit comfortably with the horror aspects (there is, however, a notable exception in a hilarious scene towards the end). But these drawbacks are outweighed by the plus points, which makes Splice an enjoyable experience overall.

Three fourths of these reviews hate the movie and whine about the idiot decisions of the scientists. Well of COURSE they made idiotic decisions! Where's the film if they made perfectly sane decisions? What kind of film is that?

I actually thought the film was effing brilliant. I think it took a familiar premise and retooled it. The performances of Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley were exemplary, as always. I saw it for Sarah Polley as she is one of my favorite actors and one of the most underrated ones out there today. The actress that played Dren was also strong and had the perfect mix of human, alien, and innocence.

The film addresses many scientific issues, but does so with a moral and emotional center. I like that the film doesn't pull punches and I like that there are consequences for the actions of the scientists. I thought the complex relationship of the couple and their creation was skillfully rendered and and excellently acted.

Was it flawed? Sure. But it was also really kick ass and I'd see it again in a heartbeat.

If you want your horror sci-fi movies neat and tidy and pedestrian this probably isn't for you.