Enticed By The Ultra-Nice Splice

Splice, produced by Guillermo del Toro, is a rarity in horror films these days; something intelligent. Somewhat reminiscent to Spieces, it has Adrian Brodey and Sarah Polley as scientists geneticall splicing the DNA of different animals to produced original creatures that will naturally produce proteins that can be harvested for medical purposes. When permission to proceed with splicing human and animal DNA is denied, they proceed anyway, hiding the results away in the basement.
But they find that the sentient creature they provide difficult to remain emotionally detatched to.

While it has horror aspects, in particular in having one of the main characters a monster, this is a science fiction drama first and foremost. The dynamic of professional and private partnership is tested as the nature of their secret experiment begins to develop with the inclusion of their creation, Dren, into their relationship. Also, themes of parenthood are explored, from discussions about conception, to the joys and complications of birth and coping with a new child, to much more complex Freudian psychological issues that exist between parents and their fast maturing child.

It's a small but sharp looking production with the special effects in particular deserving special praise. Whether it's animatronics, CGI or prosthetics the effects in Splice are top notch...certainly the best stuff I've seen from Howard Berger's K.N.B. make-up shop. True to form Brodey and Polley are on form and French actress Delphine Chanéac commendably communicates Dren's complexity in her inner transformation from child to young-adult.

Although it does touch on familiar monster movie staples (the monster simply has to get unleashed at some point) it's done with enough of a twist to make the outcome uncertain. Splice is good stuff, sharing the same genetic code as Cronenberg's The Fly, although it's not quite as accomplished as that classic. Between this and Predators, it seems like Adrian Brodey's moving into horror territory as a career. Maybe the larger hootered one will play Pinhead in a Hellraiser remake...