SPLICE

It seems like I have been hearing about this movie for years now and finally I have the chance to see it, so did it live up to my expectations (or its reputation)?  Sadly, not really.  The story is a riff on the classic “Frankenstein” tale, where a couple of scientists create a new species by splicing together DNA of other animals and combining it with human DNA.  The result is quite amazing.  It is a very human-looking and hairless specimen that appears to have a line down its face, as well as a tail that hides a very dangerous spike.  The scientists (played by Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody) name the specimen “Dren” (it is a female specimen) and basically look after it as if it were their own child.  

That is what “Splice” really is, it is an allegory to parenthood told in the guise of a horror movie.  Dren ages very quickly and within a week she looks like an adult, and as such, she begins to awaken sexually which leads to a very uncomfortable scene where Dren has sex with Adrien Brody.  The film kicks into high horror gear for the finale, when Dren begins to change once more, but I will not reveal the details of this twist.  While it is definitely not a bad film, “Splice” wasn’t a great film.  I felt that it actually looked like a low budget film; however, the creature effects were well handled.  Finally, it was great to see Sarah Polley on the big screen again – it has been too long.

3 Stars - Viewed at the 2010 Melbourne International Film Festival