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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
It's a great film, but has some elements that would be called risqué.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Very good sci-fi horror film
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
A great find!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
very unusual type of movie but I really enjoyed it. The makeup and effects were wonderful as well as the acting. I recommend this for any sci-fi fan!!
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