3 ½ Stars: The Arrogance Of Man When They "Architect" The Laws of Nature....

Co-produced by Guillermo Del Toro and co-written and directed by Vincenzo Natali, in a joint venture between Canadian/French /American filmmakers; “SPLICE” is a horror-Sci/fi thriller that explores the age old theme of man trying to remake nature for the sake of the 'common good'. We are familiar with the themes of “science gone mad” or the “abomination against the laws of nature”; since such themes have been explored in films such as the classic “Frankenstein”, “The Fly”, "Embryo" and “Species”. “Splice” takes inspiration from those movies and while admittedly, the film is derivative from other films, it does do those elements with dauntless aspirations.

Clive and Elsa (Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley) are two scientists who are in the cutting edge of new research and technology as they have a created a new life form made from different animals by means of “splicing” their DNA. Seeing an opportunity to further their research, the two decide to experiment with human DNA using the same techniques of gene splicing, despite it not being sanctioned by the pharmaceutical company they worked for. They come up with a new life form that they have come to call “Dren” (played by Delphine Caneac, “Dren” is N.E.R.D. spelled backwards) and the two discover that she is growing at an accelerated rate. “Dren” is dangerous, having abilities far beyond the capabilities of any animal and a tail that has a very lethal sting. The three seemed to have developed an unorthodox yet close relationship but things are becoming worst as “Dren” is developing to an adult female…a dangerous female that is curious about sex. Man should not mess around with the laws of nature….

              

             

So how far should science go to discover new things to benefit mankind? Is it worth going against the laws of nature for the benefit of mankind? What is the morality that defines invention, creation and abomination? Should these lines be crossed in favor of new discoveries? What would be one's responsibilities upon creating a new life form...what would be valid reasons to even try?  “Splice” does define the answers and while it doesn’t exactly do anything new in terms of some things, it does have the boldness to actually try to go to a certain point in this types of story. I have mentioned that the film feels derivative of other films, but I did enjoy the way it developed its story.

“Splice” makes the arrogance of man and the desire to beat some flaws in the human DNA be its driving force in the development of the story. The plot is a little predictable but the screenplay manages to engage and interest the viewer. I was left wondering as to what kind of life form “Dren” would turn out to be. She started out as a baby with an appetite for eating breath mints, then the viewer see her develop into a more intelligent life form; able to understand, spell, never talk and yet seemingly develop some emotions towards her creators. I liked the way the direction kept things simple, and each scene was able to speak for itself, until the viewer becomes privy to the project’s end result. “Dren” has the characteristics of a bird, a monkey, an amphibian, a scorpion, and even a gazelle with a very human-looking appearance that well, truth be told can be sensual; that ultimately leads to a final evolution that was surprising. This evolution does make sense in weird kind of way that I was able to buy into it (so course I am no biochemist).

           

What I also found interesting was that the characters were developed along with “Dren”. At first we see two scientists who are also lovers; one eager to experiment and set new rules while the other expressed a word of caution. Elsa was the one eager to pursue this experiment while Clive had his doubts and wanted to destroy “Dren” in the beginning. Then as soon as “Dren” matures a little, Clive displays more sensitivity to their creations’ needs, Elsa was seen as “Dren’s” mother figure and Clive became something else. It was also a nice touch as “Dren” witnesses sexual intercourse that she begins to develop a curiosity towards it. The reasons why Elsa went for this experiment was a little underdeveloped and leaves much for the imagination, but the film does push some boundaries. Clive and Elsa were considered “Dren’s” parents, but I guess those rules don’t apply when it comes to mating to a new, unknown species. It also fell to some trappings with a corporate entity that requires results theme but it didn’t hamper it too much.

         

       

For a film of this kind, it is refreshing that it practiced some restraint when it comes to visual effects; there were some but they didn’t overload the film. The make up effects used on “Dren” was pretty good. (ahem) There were times that “Dren” exuded a mild form of sexual appeal but I guess those were just my reaction to the actress who played her character. The film has very little blood and gore, and the cinematography by Tetsuo Nagata had that simple yet mesmerizing appeal. The acting by the trio of Brody, Polley and Caneac sparked the needed dynamics that I have to say that their scenes together made the film.

“Splice” is a film that is developed by its characters and does have some surprises that proved to be credible. Its main weakness would be that it felt rather formulaic; however well they develop those formulas. The film is bizarre, and quite frankly, certain scenes were riveting; it also managed to generate a feeling of dread in its sequences that finished with a twist that gives an idea that there may be a sequel. Vincenzo Natali’s “Splice” is a good sci-fi/horror film; while not exactly reinventing the genre, it sure did have its moments as an emotional, cautionary chiller.

Recommended! [3 ½ Out of 5 Stars]

HYPE LEVEL: Pretty Reasonable. The film wasn’t exactly highly publicized as a Guillermo Del Toro creation which could have made its hype pretty high, but for a film that can become a sleeper hit (before the summer blockbusters) “Splice” was pretty entertaining.