We all have our guilty pleasure genres, and one of mine is small-scale B-style horror movies, particularly from around this era. That's not to say that I love all of them, of course, but I'm far more likely to be taken with one than I would, say, a modern biopic. So when I tell you that I enjoy something like Species, just keep that in mind.
Without question, what truly elevates this movie is the oddly stacked cast. I mean, you've got Michael Madsen playing action hero man, Ben Kingsley attempting another one of his ridiculous accents, Alfred Molina having absolutely nothing to do aside from occasionally acting horny, and Forest Whitaker giving it his all as an "empath" (?) who inexplicably possesses psychic powers. It's great. And their presences are especially welcome because all four of them are so delightfully miscast.
Otherwise, though, the movie's mostly mediocre. Strong as the premise and casting might be, they're often squandered by weak writing, unnecessary padding, downright horrendous CGI, and a rushed ending. But I suppose these "flaws" have never totally sunk this kind of movie for me before, so I won't be starting now. And besides, when I watch these guys walk around with flamethrowers and try to hunt down an extraterrestrial-human hybrid, I'm reminded of why I was so drawn to this genre in the first place.
Grade: B
No comments:
Post a Comment