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To be honest, I caught 3/5 of this movie twice on cable TV a few years ago and enjoyed it back then. Only now have I been able to see this movie in its entirety. This movie reminds me of 80s-era sci-fi/horror director Stuart Gordon ( "Reanimator", "From Beyond") with its verve and intensity. The 80s were a fun era for these types of movies both on the big screen and the small, and entertaining in their diversity regardless of whether they were major studio releases or smaller, straight-to-video fare. Although "Splice" was made in the late 2000s and has cgi, it has the spirit of sci-fi/horror films of a bygone age. This is really a variation of the classic tale of what happens when scientists decide to "play God". I won't go into specifics here, except to say that this movie was and is a refreshing break from all the zombie, ghost, demon, and serial killer movies that have been done to death for more than a decade. I welcome the "one and done" movies of this type as an antidote to the often tiresome, dreadful genre types which grow increasingly worse with each sequel/prequel.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Could thiks happen? Or has 8it already happened? Very intrestimg & kind of scary! It only lacked a few good actors-pity-could have been better if cast was better.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Two scientists (Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley) create two hybrid creatures from the DNA of several different animals. The creatures look like writhing masses of featureless flesh, but they produce enzymes that can cure disease. The female scientist secretly adds human DNA to the mix, and produces a different creature: bald, with wings and a tail, but basically human-looking. The scientists secretly raise this creature, naming her Dren. But, like most films about cloning or genetically engineering human/animal hybrids, SPLICE ends badly with Dren turning on her surrogate parents. I rate SPLICE higher than average because the characters are all very complex. Elsa (Polley) was raised by an abusive mother and craves, yet fears, the prospect of motherhood. Dren is not only her science project, but her trial run at being a Mommy. Like other creatures who ultimately wreak havoc (Frankenstein's monster, King Kong), Dren is not intrinsically evil; the audience feels her loneliness and frustration at being held captive by people who want to exploit her. I liked the fact that there was a legitimate medical reason for splicing DNA, as opposed to many films where the scientist is an egomaniac who simply wants to play God. Explicit sex scenes make SPLICE inappropriate for children, which is a shame because otherwise this is a thought-provoking film that raises valid, intriguing moral and ethical questions.Read full review
Not knowing what to expect from this film, I was drawn to it at the video store mainly due to the exotic nature of the cover. This supposedly benign creature that was to be somehow genetically engineered, totally fascinated my intellect since I've always been curious about the possibility of certain types of creatures being created brand new in lieu of extremely slim odds. Take, for instance, the Island of Doctor Moreau & Frankenstein. Our director Vincenzo Natali, who may best be known for his eerie sci-fi thriller Cube, had really kept me guessing as to where the film might take you. I'll certainly say that he did succeed here. The main characters, Elsa (Sarah Polley) & Clive (Adrien Brody), were both likable, yet quite detestable at times. The main characters encompass an unlikeable peculiarity by bypassing a normal mindset in morality. This moral dilemma doesn't necessarily automatically present itself, unless we see the full blown aspects of what creating a new life form from human DNA really represents. I don't think the screenwriter was really looking here into many morality issues, more than just pushing the envelope of what might be so taboo & warped, it borderlines on heresy. Despite a refusal by their company bosses to take the next step in the research project, which might include tampering with human DNA, their secretive ambitions lead them to create a human-animal hybrid by combining human genes with those of the newly created species that has enormous pharmaceutical industry potential. The two worm-like creatures they originally created has, up until now, given Elsa & Clive scientific clout with ability to secrete these profitable power proteins that could help lead to many world-wide cures for many known diseases. Splice concentrates its effort on doing two things. Many films lack this; they are original thought & fearless storytelling. The sexual tone in this film drove many to squirm as we had to deal with the creature Dren's adolescence and later the gender problem. I'm pretty sure that this was probably the reason why so many studios could not except this film into their coffers, since it would be dealing with controversially taboo. I'm not at all saying that this was too sick and twisted for the film industry to embrace. I'm just saying that, since this has never been tried before on film, it would automatically be considered a bomb by most executives. Much to my dismay, I was wrong about my emotional response (not fear) about the film but right about my overall impressions. Natali's film happens to be quite a sizable cut above the rest precisely because it isn't afraid to make an audience uncomfortable. How about we look at how Clive & Elsa erratically changed so quickly without explanation. Clive starts out thinking they need to kill Dren, then waffles back to protecting it. Near the ending he says "the experiment's over. We no longer have an obligation to the specimen." There is never an explanation. Elsa does the same thing only in reverse. She starts off wanting to take care of Dren, then after Dren kills the cat, she goes berserk and wants to kill Dren. Then she goes back to wanting to take care of Dren, then back again toward the end. What's up? When Clive tried to copulate with the creature, that's when I thought that I'd go back to "Trog" from 1970 with Joan Crawford. At least Trog was a decent underground cave dweller that just kidnapped a kid at the end. Dren turned male in the end & raped Elsa.Read full review
I found the movie to be at best average. The acting and plot were ok but there just wasn't anything which I found really interesting. The story centers on two scientists who are performing genetic experiments and who illegaly produce a human/animal hybird with the typical horrific results. The message would be to avoid playing god but as in other movies produced during the 1970's the story closes with a common result. Here the female scientist becomes pregnant by the creature and she makes a deal with the genetics corporation where she is to bring the ctreature growing inside of her to term. This is despite the fact that its father killed her husband, brother-in-law and the director of the project. This is not a movie I would recommend.
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