Mimic


3/4

Starring: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Charles S. Dutton, Giancarlo Giannini, Josh Brolin

Rate R for Terror/Violence and Language

Personally, I love a good monster movie.  They allow for a lot more invention than your average slasher movie, and there’s nothing like a good creepy-crawly feeling that really gets under your skin.  While Guillermo del Toro’s first American film did not have the happiest production history, the result is still a lot of fun.

An illness called Strickler’s Disease is sickening and killing off young children in Manhattan in astonishing numbers.  No treatment or vaccine seems to be working, so two brilliant scientists, an entomologist named Dr. Susan Tyler (Sorvino) and Dr. Peter Mann (Northam) of the CDC created the Judas Breed.  A genetic mixture of the termite and the praying mantis, the Judas Breed is designed to kill off cockroaches, who carry Strickler’s.  The Judas Breed was also designed to die off after one generation.  However, it soon becomes clear that not only has the Judas Breed survived, it has evolved to mimic its predator: us.

When it comes to making insectoid creatures, there’s no one like Guillermo del Toro.  His imagination is endless, and his style always gets his creatures to get the nape hairs to stand up.  And the Judas Breed is seriously creepy.  Seeing them shuffling around with their bodies tightly wound is positively chilling.  The CGI is dated, but for the most part del Toro appears to use animatronic models, costumes and makeup.

The actors do what is required of them, but they don’t have much to work with.  The script is paper thin, and character development is non-existent.  Still, we sympathize with the characters and are not just waiting for them to get picked off.  Mira Sorvino and Jeremy Northam are talented actors, but they lack the necessary screen presence to really pull this off.  Still, they’re not bad.  Charles S. Dutton, one of my favorite character actors, is good, but his talents are largely wasted.  Giancarlo Giannini is the most sympathetic of the lot because he has a young savant-like son (Alexander Goodwin) to look out for.

“Mimic” did not have a happy production history.  Producer Bob Weinstien would frequently show up on the set and essentially take control away from director Guillermo del Toro.  He would deviate from the script, demand what should be shot, and so on.  Guillermo del Toro said that not only would he not work with the Weinsteins (given their reputation, it’s not hard to understand why) ever again, but it was more upsetting than when his father was kidnapped and held for ransom.

As much as I would like to say that producer interference is what is holding this movie back (something that has befallen many films, like “Gigli” for instance), I can’t.  As a special effects visionary, del Toro is superb.  As a filmmaker, he’s average.  I wasn’t enamored with his breakout feature, “Cronos,” nor the “Hellboy” movies.  I also found “Pan’s Labyrinth” to be underwhelming.  While it’s certainly possible that I could be wrong (I’ll have to check out the Director’s Cut to be sure, if it is ever released), the evidence doesn’t support it.

Still, for those who are looking for a good monster flick with lots of the ooey-gooey, “Mimic” is a fun ride.

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