Splice...genetics gone wild from the director of "Cube"

[Spyder07]

Like its been mentioned its hard to talk about the movie due to its minimal cast and details that cant be mentioned without spoiling something and also id rather you just go in not knowing any more info that you already know. Dont get me wrong once i realized it was more sci-fi than anything i was happy because i prefer sci-fi over horror anyday and felt that the GA was suckered into a sci-fi film which was also a plus because the GA isnt so fond of sci-fi flicks. But what could have had potential ends up pissing everyone off.

Not a horror flick at all and they hit you with the sci-fi towards the end but its very disappointing.

 

[xwolverine2]

saw this two days ago...

its pretty much about a couple making huge terrible (and predictable) decisions one after the other... eventually i didnt care about their fate. lol

it was far too predictable, but still somewhat entertaining

5 out of 10

 

[Tron Bonne]

Just got back from an early show, great film but I agree with Spyder on one point, the marketing for this movie is definitely all wrong. There's basically no real horror, at least in what most people consider horror, outside maybe a little at the end. Classic example of a Frankenstein-esque tale about raising questions about the darker aspects of the corners that science can touch in intelligent and unsettling ways. Excellent performances from the three leads, though admittedly some of the supporting cast was a little weak. I'm hearing a lot of negativity towards the climax and ending, which I can agree with; what happens makes sense in the continuity of the film and such, but felt somewhat inappropriate and could have been done much better. However, I won't say it ruins the movie, though it does bring it down some.

I can understand how some people would feel awkward or strange during certain scenes (Personally, I wasn't so unsettled, but I was with friends who were all basically wiggling in discomfort). I think people are mostly uncomfortable with the fact that something that shouldn't really be or act human in their eyes doing things that seem a little too human. I have no doubt that was the intention on the director's part though.

I won't be surprised to see this under perform, but I have faith that it'll build a strong reputation in years and be up for a rediscovery with media release. Beware, this really isn't the kind of movie made for summer fun and entertainment, though, so if that's what you come in expecting, you'll probably be disappointed. Overall, I loved it though, will probably buy it once it hits DVD/Blu-ray

 

[Gilpesh]

So Tron, that pretty much sounds like Cube, Cypher, and Nothing. All his other movies.

 

[mastermindjcg]

This clearly is horror stuff for people who are fed up with all the endless cliched, "how creative can we get in killing off the annoying teenager characters in this roman numeral-tainted cash cow" flick. Think early Cronenberg. This is horror for real movie nerds. The main characters names, Clive and Elsa, obvious references to the principal actors who starred in the original "Bride of Frankenstein" picture(go to imdb if you doubt me). Just remember, Dren spelled backwards is...NERD!!!!

-so sayeth the mastermind-

 

[Tron Bonne]

I've only seen Cube, but that was ages ago. It didn't really seem that much like that movie, but it's been awhile

 

[Gilpesh]

I've only seen Cube, but that was ages ago. It didn't really seem that much like that movie, but it's been awhile

I meant in the: 'It's going to completely under-perform but in five years everyone is going to have seen it this one time because their friend had the dvd and now they love the movie.' way

 

[Tron Bonne]

This clearly is horror stuff for people who are fed up with all the endless cliched, "how creative can we get in killing off the annoying teenager characters in this roman numeral-tainted cash cow" flick. Think early Cronenberg. This is horror for real movie nerds. The main characters names, Clive and Elsa, obvious references to the principal actors who starred in the original "Bride of Frankenstein" picture(go to imdb if you doubt me). Just remember, Dren spelled backwards is...NERD!!!!

-so sayeth the mastermind-

It's horror in the sense of how Frankenstein can be considered a horror story. It's really not when you break it down, but it's more the idea behind it that plants it as horror. Personally, I wouldn't really classify it as a horror story, but I can understand why some will see it that way.

Spoiler

And the reason for the name is the abbreviation for the research facility is 'Nerd' and it's the first letter that Dern learns to spell so they reserve it to give her an actual name

Though I'm not sure what that has to do with anything else you said...

 

[Tron Bonne]

I meant in the: 'It's going to completely under-perform but in five years everyone is going to have seen it this one time because their friend had the dvd and now they love the movie.' way

Ah, gothca.

 

[GEO]

Just got back from an early show, great film but I agree with Spyder on one point, the marketing for this movie is definitely all wrong. There's basically no real horror, at least in what most people consider horror, outside maybe a little at the end. Classic example of a Frankenstein-esque tale about raising questions about the darker aspects of the corners that science can touch in intelligent and unsettling ways. Excellent performances from the three leads, though admittedly some of the supporting cast was a little weak. I'm hearing a lot of negativity towards the climax and ending, which I can agree with; what happens makes sense in the continuity of the film and such, but felt somewhat inappropriate and could have been done much better. However, I won't say it ruins the movie, though it does bring it down some.

I can understand how some people would feel awkward or strange during certain scenes (Personally, I wasn't so unsettled, but I was with friends who were all basically wiggling in discomfort). I think people are mostly uncomfortable with the fact that something that shouldn't really be or act human in their eyes doing things that seem a little too human. I have no doubt that was the intention on the director's part though.

I won't be surprise to see this under perform, but I have faith that it'll build a strong reputation in larger years and be up for a rediscover with media release. Beware, this really isn't the kind of movie made for summer fun and entertainment, though, so if that's what you come in expecting, you'll probably be disappointed. Overall, I loved it though, will probably buy it once it hits DVD/Blu-ray

wow. That's exactly how I feel about it.

The recent trailers make it seem like a horror film. But some earlier trailer I saw gave it more of a sci-fi vibe with an horror element, which is how it ended up. I agree it's more Frakenstein horror. The horror aspect was more psychological in creating this creature & the ramifications etc... I felt more for the creature than the scientists, but I think we were supposed to.

 

[Carnotaur3]

The movie is definitely "Frankenstein" meets "The Fly".

 

[The Apatow Crew]

I saw this today, I thought it was good for what it was. I also Saw Get Him To The Greek, but I enjoyed the other one a bit better.

But still a good movie for what it was worth.


I know alot of people in the theaters were getting weirded out by the one scene.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I saw this today, I thought it was good for what it was. I also Saw Get Him To The Greek, but I enjoyed the other one a bit better.

But still a good movie for what it was worth.


I know alot of people in the theaters were getting weirded out by the one scene.

I was weirded out by the entire damn movie.

 

[TheFuture]

Saw the trailer with Rec 2 and it freaked me out. No surprise though, films that mess with genetics usually freak me out, such as The Fly and that disturbing as hell scene in Alien Resurrection. It looks good, I shall be seeing it.

 

[The Apatow Crew]

Movie made about a little over 7 million at the box office. I think the over populated week, took its effects on this.

 

[Polaris23]

I saw it last night and absolutely loved it.

 

[Polaris23]

Wow -- this image is quite a potential spoiler. I'll bet the studio tries to get these taken off the website...

Spoiler

Where can I find this image without the black blocks?
Thanks.

 

[CBGB]

Wow, I really liked this film. While I was seeing this film I was just... relieved. It was just so original and entertaining, and one of the few great sci-fi films in recent years (District 9 and Moon are the first that come to mind).

I admit, it was a little weird in parts, like the ending and the [BLACKOUT]sex scene.[/BLACKOUT] But I'd rather see a film like that than some throw-away summer popcorn movie.

Spoiler

It's pretty obvious that this is an "ant-male" movie, and how man stupidly tries to understand and control nature. This is also backed by the fact that the two leads aren't nice characters at all, and that every main character that dies in this movie is a male.

 

[Octoberist]

8/10

I liked it. even though it's not perfect, i appreciate how it's different and shocking. We don't get a lot movies like this.

 

[nightwing06]

When i saw the various posters for Splice for the first time,films like Embryo and bad B movie level horror flicks like Xtro which still managed to scare the hell out of me as a kid,came to mind.Splice is part Species with a dash of Cronenberg,before it becomes a B flick.
Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) are two brilliant scientists who are developing gene-splicing technology to create new species.
The company funding their project Newstead Inc, wants results from their protein gene testing,so they can eventually profit from it,so they shut them down,the two balk at the idea because they want to put human DNA into the mix.
So throwing out all kinds of scientific ethics and codes they mix animal and human DNA
the results create DREN.
Nicoli attempts to be the voice of reason,but Kast grows to love the creature which looks like a chicken,crossed with a peach and a human.First she treats it as a pet then as a child.
This part of the film was very engrossing and i loved the design and look of the creature
but then the film heads for a weird area .Now i have watched tons of weird films,but it goes down a path that is above and beyond weird ,and its quite off putting.It also began to provoke unintended laughs from myself and the audience.Then the film becomes Jeepers Creepers 3 and i was done with it.
So great beginning and middle, terrible B movie climax
Wait for the DVD or cable
Sclae of 1-10 a 6 ½

 

[Sentinel X]

This movie was great at first. As I was watching it I thought it could be a modern horror classic. The scenes with Dren as a toddler are great and I praise the designers because she looks absolutely horrific.
However, when Dren turns into an adult the movie goes downhill and fast. And by the last 15 minutes it was just a huge WTF movie. They took a great idea and it started off as a great film only to have a atrocious second hour that ruined everything.

 

[dark_b]

i liked the movie because it dares to be different and provocative . its original and the focus is on the characters.i also like that the director manipulates with the audience.plus some nice intentional comedy.

its not about enjoying the

Spoiler

sex scene.

. its about appreciating that the director had the balls to have a scene like this in movie.

7/10.

i supported a small low budget original movie in the theater. will you?

 

[TheFuture]

My review (spoiler free, just wanted to wrap it in spoiler tags to keep the page looking pretty ).

Spoiler

Splice caught my attention a few months ago when I came across the trailer. My interest was immediately caught because it seemed to me like an old school horror in the mould of Frankenstein. More often than not, in modern cinema what the "horror/sci-fi" genre churns out is a generic slasher movie that are a dime a dozen. Thus, Splice caught my interest because it not only seemed like a breath of fresh air but also because, to me, it seemed like a film that was going back to the basics. The end result is a bold and original film, but one that ultimately lets itself down in the final third by relying on shock tactics.

The plot is straight forward enough, we are quickly introduced to Clive and Elsa, two scientists (as well as lovers) who are leading the field in genetic engineering. Due to a recent dalliance with media exposure, the over-confident duo decide to ignore the demands of their bosses and focus on what they see as a much more important project: introducing human DNA to their work. Why? Simply because by introducing human DNA, they hope to be able to create potential cures for fatal illnesses. Of course, this raises all kinds of human and legal ethical issues and sure enough it is not long before they begin to realise that they are in way over their heads. Without going into specifics the rest of the film follows Clive and Elsa attempting to nurture and protect their creation before things take a much more disturbing and horrific turn.

The problem I have in regards to the plot is that it starts off so well but then phones it in in the final third. Vincenzo Natali manages to craft an initial story that is quite beautiful and moving, however the final act reads like Natali forgot that he was meant to be making a horror and in turn deploys shock tactics. Don't get me wrong, what leads up to the highly disturbing final third is explained coherently enough but it still feels incredibly lazy. There is one specific scene that not only ruins the character of Clive but also destroys, what was up until then, a very poignant story. It is also a scene that ruins what was up until then an incredibly beautiful performance by Delphine Chaneac.

This leads us onto the acting, and naturally I will begin with who I just praised: Delphine Chaneac. Her performance as Dren is incredibly moving as well as impressive as it's a performance that completely relies on human expression. The audience really do learn to care deeply for Dren and this is completely down to Chaneac's child like yet sinister-at-times performance. This just makes the direction the film takes in the final third all the more disappointing as by the end of the film you do not have any sympathy for Dren at all. One could make the argument that Dren's actions in the final third are just the result of an unstable and incredibly irresponsible experiment. However Dren repeatedly shows herself to be an intelligent lifeform. She is at times terribly confused but she is also undoubtedly more than capable of intelligent thought. Thus, she is perfectly aware of what she is doing and this is why the character is kind of ruined for me in the final third.

Adrien Brody is also terribly let down by the plot direction in the final third. He initially provides a very good performance as he manages to capture a very "human" portrayal. While his girlfriend is perhaps letting her ego drive her in the early stages of the experiment, Clive is understandly upset, angry, cautious and very much aware of the total ****-storm that they have created together. Even though it is of course heightened reality, Brody initially provides a portrayal that the audience can relate to and sympathise with. Again however, this is all undone in the same scene that destroys the good work done by Chaneac. It is a scene that indicates where the story stops being a poignant drama/sci-fi and where it starts to become a cheap horror relying on shocks. Granted, within the timeframe of two hours there is only so much you can cover. However, that still does not excuse what I feel is a badly written closing act. Sarah Polley gives a good performance where she strikes a fine balance between sanity and insanity. She shares some very moving and beautiful scenes with Chaneac and they worked very well together. In general, the cast do the best with what they have, they all provide fine performances up until the plot forcibly lowers the quality they have to work with.

I've covered everything there is to say about Natali's direction. It is initially a beautifully shot film which is very moving. He also gets fine performances out of his cast until the final act kicks in. Natali wrote the screenplay and the story so he only has himself to blame for what the film is reduced to in the final third.

In sum, Splice is a very innovative and bold film. One cannot deny the originality of the story. It is, initially, a very moving story with fine performances from all until a final third that goes full throttle on the horror and forgets about the quality of the story.

3/5

 

[terry78]

i liked the movie because it dares to be different and provocative . its original and the focus is on the characters.i also like that the director manipulates with the audience.plus some nice intentional comedy.

its not about enjoying the

Spoiler

sex scene.

. its about appreciating that the director had the balls to have a scene like this in movie.

7/10.

i supported a small low budget original movie in the theater. will you?

Yes, it is.

 

[dark_b]

visual effects featurette
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BkKijD3Wfw&feature=channel