13/06/2012: Species [1995]

When I put on Species, I really wasn't expecting a modern day alien sci-fi B-movie. But that is what I got and I was by no means disappointed. With a solid plot and a particularly interesting and surprising cast, Species was a nice bit of entertainment for a Wednesday night. Now I only wonder if the rest can maintain that same feeling.

I remember little about the plot synopsis I read on IMDb more than 3 months ago. I remember catching about 10 minutes of one of the later installments in the Species series, and having already been semi-aware of their existence, I decided I would forgo watch whichever sequel I was watching, and instead check them all out. Let's face it. The first is usual the good one, with everything going downhill from there. So this dull Wednesday night, I through on Species, as I had been having trouble deciding what movie to watch.

I've currently had to refrain from picking up to many new movies, as my pile of ones I need to watch is massive. However, when you get down to the pile of movies you at one point thought would be a good idea, or for one reason or another intrigued me enough to get, you tend not to remember why you even picked it out in the first place. So, when faced with a bunch of movies, and none really sticking out, I always have trouble deciding what to watch. However, no matter what I pick, I always get sucked in within five minutes or so and enjoy it. So after picking pretty randomly Species it was.

Michael Madson: Saving cats for old ladies since 1995.

First off, the almost three minutes of very boring opening credits were not a good sign. I will genuinely enjoy opening credits if they are done right. Anything from the massive CGI constructs like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo to the classic Bond openings, or from the text over the movie to the overused, zoom out from the smallest molecule opening. Really, with so many creative ways to do it, they are always fun to watch. Species unfortunately just gave me some stars to look at for a number of minutes, while names I didn't recognize came and went. This was not a good sign.

However, Species was not slow to become interesting after that. The movie keeps a steady pace throughout, rising up and down as it goes, but never varying to much for to long. At first, I thought I was watching just another 90's sci-fi horror movie. Then I realized that the 90's were definitely not the time for sci-fi horror movies. Yet there was something about Species that seemed decent and enjoyable. One of the first signs, and strange contradictions to my later revelations was the cast.

When it comes to the typical creepy motel manager, this guy is the most helpful I've ever seen.

My favourite point in the movie might easily have been when Michael Madsen walked onto the screen. "Stuck In The Middle With You" instantly clicked on in my head. I think Madsen is a great actor, and am disappointed I haven't seen him in more movies. The rest of the cast didn't have that instant recognition factor, but slowly I began to place them. Ben Kingsley is easily recognizable and yet I still can't place him in any other movies. Is he Xavier? I want to say so, but I'm hesitant. Then there was Forest Whitaker who, I haven't the slightest clue about. But his face rings a bell. The second biggest surprise was definitely Marg Helgenberger. As Catherine Willows on CSI for more years than I can possibly remember, I can't remember seeing her in any other role. Of course, I haven't even yet gotten to the star of the movie.

Sil, is the "Species" in question in the title. While that title choice is debatable, I'll let it slide. Sil is a hybrid of human DNA, and a convenient  DNA recipe beamed to earth from some extra terrestrials. So yah, lets go right ahead and whip up a couple batches of that. As could be expected, Sil of course becomes to much to handle and escapes. She then sets out on a goal to find a suitable mate, leaving a bloody trail in her wake. A team is quickly assembled to hunt down and kill her before she succeeds. Truly this plot sounds a lot like the old style sci-fi movies and was my first tip that this might be a B-movie.

Sil is played Natasha Henstridge, who I don't think I've seen since, although I imagine she went on to chick flick comedies. That's just a hunch. However, at the time of Species, she was definitely game for some cheesy sci-fi combined with an excess of nudity and blood and gore. When I say excess, I'm not talking sexploitation levels. Just standard B-movie fare. It was about half way through the movie, that I realized all the elements had slid into place, and that I did in-fact have a B-movie on my hands. While I had no problem recognizing, if not placing, most of the cast, I imagine that at this time they were largely undiscovered.

Seinfield has already covered this.

So taking that into account, we have a theoretically unknown cast, a cheesy sci-fi plot, an abundance of nudity, some cheap blood and gore effects and some even cheaper CGI. This really feel like a B-movie to me. I referred to it as a modern version of the typical sci-fi B-movie, because I feel like some of the elements were quite a high standard. The budget, wasn't completely scoffable, although maybe not spent where it was needed. The story, which I called cheesy sci-fi fare, wasn't really that bad, and there was some interesting science behind some of it, while other elements of it were so far up the wall as to be incomprehensible. I mean, an empath? Why the hell did we need that? Altogether, Species may feel like a B-movie, but it was definitely nothing to consider garbage.

Overall, I though Species was a decent movie, but maybe that is just because I enjoy B-movies. I think that, like most modern B-movies, Species tried to be more than it was, and tried to pass itself off as more than a B-movie. In the end, this was probably its downfall critic and financial wise. However, I enjoyed it especially Madsen's line "Let go you mother fucker." delivered at just the right moment. I hope that in the sequels, Species doesn't try and hide what it is and just lets its B-movie flag fly, while still keeping everything that made the original such a fun time. I just checked, Madsen, Marg and Natasha are back for the sequel. It is gonna be a fucking great time.

Link:
Species IMDb