Mimic 3: Sentinel

Direct-to-video sequels. Good gravy. I personally have no issues with films that end up skipping a theatrical release and go straight to video. Some of the best movies end up taking that route. But usually the reason for them not getting a theatrical release is because the movie was made on a very small budget and the studio doesn't feel that it doesn't deserve a theatrical release, and in most cases it's true. Worse still, are direct-to-video sequels to a film that DID get a theatrical release, limited or otherwise. Starship Troopers got two DTV(direct-to-video) sequels, and not one of them were good. Feast got two sequels and only the third movie was half-decent. The Crow had ONE sequel go to theaters, the other two? DTV. Hellraiser? 3 theatricals and 5 DTV. Some of these sequels were given to films that you would think didn't need one. The original film ended in a way that was satisfying and concluded the story. Apparently, some of the studio heads didn't think so. Guillermo Del Toro's Mimic was released in 1997 to mixed reviews and wasn't what Del Toro wanted to release due to studio interference. But a lot of people seemed to have liked it enough, but it just vanished off the radar. In 2001, Mimic 2 was quietly released to home video. There's a reason for that, I think. It was a terrible film. I didn't review it, because I fast forwarded through most of it, it was so boring. The visual effects were okay, but the concept and execution? Horrendous. 2003 saw the release of the final Mimic film, Mimic 3: Sentinel, also DTV, but it actually ended up being a much better film than Mimic 2.

Mimic 3 opens as an apparent Peeping Tom, Marvin(Karl Geary) is taking pictures of random people in an apartment complex across the street. That is until he notices something bizarre on the street below, after witnessing a child going into an alley and disappears. Marvin is a survivor of the strickler's disease that ravaged New York in 1997. Unfortunately, Marvin is stuck in his room because of the disease. He's also on Oxygen. The only contact with the outside world is his sister, Rosy(Alexis Dziena) and his mother, Simone(Amanda Plummer). After noticing another apparent murder, Marvin notices a strange garbageman(Lance Henriksen) in the area who may or may not know something about what's going on. As the body count begins to rise, Marvin realizes that the Judas Breed from 1997 has survived and is killing people.

One of the things that this installment has going for it, is it's Rear Window vibe, where you have a single person that's watching everything going on from his home. There's a bit of helplessness going as Marvin is a physically fragile person and is unable to actually do much aside from telling people what's going on. Most people, including the police don't believe him. Taking a cue from the original Mimic, Sentinel, while bloody isn't overly gory. There's a good deal of restraint. The creatures themselves aren't too bad, outside of some poor CG(due to budget limitations no doubt), when the creatures are in their full glory. Close up shots involve a guy in a suit who happens to be the film's visual effects person(Gary J. Tunnicliffe). While the film is confined to basically just a few rooms, the tension actually builds, especially when Lance Henriksen's character comes into the picture. We don't know much about his character, except that he helped work on the Judas Breed. Say what you will about some of the movies that Henriksen's been in, the man is a living legend, having appeared in some of the biggest films like Terminator, Aliens, and Near Dark, among others. He always manages to bring a legitimacy to the material that he's working with, even if the film is direct-to-video crap. Henriksen always manages to make it entertaining. Overall, Mimic 3 actually manages to be a fairly decent DTV effort. Is it a good movie? Not really, but I definitely appreciate the approach they took to it, and it manages to be kind of intense, despite being silly at time. Even Guillermo Del Toro himself kind of liked it, which really says something about the film. If you must have more Mimic, skip the dreadful second movie and go for this one instead. The film was directed by then-newcomer J.T Petty. He actually did a decent job here. Come for the bugs, stay for Lance Henriksen. Mimic 3 gets a solid 8/10.

A Question of Desensitivity

As a film critic, sometimes I like to challenge myself by watching movies that most people would say, "Oh, hell no!" to. I suppose in a certain regard, I'm kind of throwing myself under the bus to endure the movies that most rational people wouldn't touch with a 50-foot pole. I tend to gravitate towards horror movies and some of the most shocking films that have been committed to film are horror movies. Granted people thought that Friday the 13 and Nightmare on Elm Street were shocking. But I'm talking about movies like Audition and A Serbian Film. These are some of the most depraved movies I've ever seen. After having seen A Serbian Film, nothing shocks me anymore. And on the other side of the coin, no other movie prior to A Serbian Film has shocked me. I guess that would say something about how desensitized I am to violence on film, that it takes that one movie to actually make me genuinely feel something. I don't regret seeing A Serbian Film, hell I own a copy of it on Blu-Ray. But I have a copy to remind that not all movies are rosy. Some will drag you through the dirt and the muck. I just recently viewed The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence. It was hyped up to be brutal and gross, and it certainly delivered. I won't review it here. I posted it on The Dead Centre, a small horror community that I'm a staff member of. I appreciate a good horror movie, but sometimes I end up getting more than I bargained for. Then again, I AM a fan of horror movies, and the fans of the genre are always looking for stuff that's going to push the envelope.

The genre isn't for everybody, and even those that claim to be hardcore fans, there are certain dark corners of the genre that they won't peek into. As a film critic, I feel it's my obligation to seek out the particular films that no-one has heard of, the controversial and the bizarre. I remain as objective as possible when I review movies, but A Serbian Film reminded me that it's not that easy to stay objective, because there are certain subjects that tend to get my blood boiling. But as reviewer, the trick is to not let emotion take control of the review, which I have seen happen before from other critics. Some critics have a blatant disregard for the horror genre, and to me that's dishonest. Horror is as legitimate a genre as comedy, even though it's geared towards a certain audience. I think if you're going to enjoy the genre, be careful, because there are films out there that will pummel you if you're not ready. If you're curious about the horror films that I've reviewed, I will point you to: www.thedeadcentre.com.

Mimic

Guillermo Del Toro is an interesting director. Most of the movies he's directed are a combination of science fiction, fantasy and horror. The man who gave us Pan's Labyrinth, also gave us the Hellboy movies, Blade II, Cronos, and a rather underrated thriller called Mimic. I don't think a lot of people payed attention to Del Toro until Blade II was released. After that, he really started picking up steam. But one of his more unusual films, Mimic was released in 1997 to mixed reviews. Del Toro himself was unhappy with the version that was released to theaters. But that was because the studio execs kept changing things on him and rejecting his ideas, and eventually brought in 2nd unit directors to give the film more "scares" and more action. It certainly wasn't his intent. I'll get to that later.

The film opens in New York City as hundreds of kids are in the hospital due to a lethal disease called strickler's disease. The disease was carried by cockroaches in the sewers beneath the city. To combat this epidemic, Dr. Susan Tyler(Mira Sorvino) created a new breed of cockroach, dubbed the Judas Breed, and released it in the sewers. As a result the roaches carrying the disease were destroyed and the disease eradicated. Fast-forward 3 years, Susan is married to fellow scientist and CDC employee, Dr. Peter Mann(Jeremy Northam). During a routine investigation Dr. Mann and his assistant, Josh(Josh Brolin) discover a slavery ring underneath a local church, which is infested with cockroaches. Later, Susan gets a unique specimen from a couple of local kids. Turns out that the Judas Breed that she created has survived and evolved. Enough to the point where the bugs are mimicking us. In an effort to keep the bugs from spreading they enlist the help of a local cop, Leonard(Charles S. Dutton) to help them navigate the tunnels beneath the city.

The story is actually pretty decent for a bit of a monster movie. The creatures themselves are actually uniquely designed and really pose a threat. And with the exception of some shots, mostly practical. You don't actually get a good look until much later in the movie when the creatures attack some kids in the subway. Now, given that this is a creature feature, you should expect really creepy monsters, and I don't think there's anything creepier than a cockroach, except maybe spiders. The acting is actually very solid all around with Mira Sorvino playing the sexy, yet intelligent Susan Tyler. This is one of Josh Brolin's first real big roles and he's not only convincing but funny as well. Charles S. Dutton. What can I say about the man? He inhabits every role that he takes on. From his roles in Alien 3, Rudy and Mimic to movies like Legion, he elevates the film with a powerful and intimidating presence, which makes it sort of funny when you see him freaking out in Mimic. I don't think anyone else could have handled the character as well as he could.

Now, in a monster movie that's rated R, you would expect it to be pretty gory. While there are moments of SOME gore, you really don't see a lot of intestines being torn out or heads being ripped off, it's not that kind of movie. It gets pretty gross at times with slime and shit everywhere(literally).

Things got really hairy between the director and the execs during the production of the film, and the film that ended up in theaters wasn't what Guillermo Del Toro wanted. The execs wanted more cheap scares, while Del Toro opted for a more atmospheric film. So, the execs hired 2nd unit directors to edit and toss out some of the stuff that would've made a better movie with. This being released in the 90's, also meant that you weren't allowed to have kids killed on screen or animals for that matter. And while there is the argument that "less-is-more" is more artistic than the stuff that you actually see, in a monster movie, you need to see what these creatures are capable of. For the Blu-Ray release of Mimic, most of Del Toro's stuff that he shot that was discarded has been reintegrated into the film, which includes a sub-plot that involves a slavery ring, and more on Susan's attempts to get pregnant. One of the scenes that I had just mentioned where two kids were killed on screen, was also put back into the film. Most of the crap that was filmed by the second unit directors has been discarded in favor of a more atmospheric creature feature, and it actually works better this way. Granted the last act of the film borders on cliche, it's still a visceral and exciting ride. Granted, even with this new director's cut, the film isn't perfect. Certain characters are just bystanders and some of the CGI effects simply just don't stand up as well today. The practical effects still do, though. While Mimic certainly isn't Guillermo's best film, it's still a solid film with solid performances and an atmosphere that still sends chills down my spine. I just wish that Guillermo Del Toro was allowed to make the film that he really wanted to make. Overall, this new director's cut is several steps above and beyond the original release and I give it a solid 9/10.

As a side note, there were two direct-to-video video sequels that were made. On the commentary on the Blu-Ray, Del Toro mentions these films and says while the first sequel was absolute crap, he actually liked the third film. Having seen the second film, I agree with his assessment on that film. I have yet to see the third film however. I will post a review as soon as I do. The original film stands on it's own as a decent sci-fi thriller and deserves to be seen. Just make sure it's the director's cut.