Thaindian News

By Ranjan Bhaduri
June 4, (THAINDIAN NEWS) There are plenty of horror flicks and sci-fi movies in Hollywood but the latest offering from Vincenzo Natali is a curious blend of the two.

The movie has an actor of the caliber of Adrien Brody and this can raise the expectation of his fans.

The actor did deliver a nice performance but it is Dren -the semi human semi animal creature created in lab that dominates ‘Splice’. Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody are scientist couples working for a pharmaceutical giant and one of their genetic experiments go haywire, largely because of the insistence of Sarah Polley.

The creature that gets born in lab appear as like genetically deformed female but as it grows up, the couple face new dilemmas.

At moments the viewers may draw analogy to certain scenes in cult movies like ‘The Fly’ and ‘Species’. There are elements of dark comedy too.

The creature is a visual treat and the viewers stay glued to their seats when the metamorphosis from childhood to adolescence is shown. Delphine Chaneac, a French actress plays the role of the creature Dren- with aplomb and as one can understand a lot of CGI has been used to make the character look credible.

Dren stirs up both compassion and terror in the viewers. She shows the various animal characteristics that have been blended into her gene and some of the scenes are horrifying enough. The sex scene is among the weirdest ever shown in Hollywood movies.

‘Splice’ is engaging but in a different way. It may appeal to the horror film buffs but does not offer gory scenes as such. The subject has become clich but the director approaches it from a surprising angle and that makes it worth a watch.