Mimic (1997)

Sadly Over-hyped

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

So the movie plot is pretty good. It's about an epidemic from cockroaches which was contained by the release of a new genetic bug, Judas, which should have only 6 months left to live once released. But they survived for 3 years and even developed lungs. They started mimicking the humans.Okay now that's good and all, but most of the exciting bits happened in an abandoned subway tunnel, where (obviously) is dark. So even though it was well played, well carried out etc, the fact that it was half dark made it hard to see anything. You can see glimpses of the action, but that's it. If you're a horror fan and you have night vision eyes, this is the perfect movie for you.

Mimic is an early outing for renowned wizard of imagination Guillermo Del Toro, and one that was severely hampered by the studios, namely the vile ghoul Harvey Weinstink. Despite an ending which Del Toro hates, I absolutely love the film. I grew up with it the way it is and enjoy it for the story it has, regardless of any qualms its creators have with it. It's a lovely throwback to the creature features of the 1950's, with Del Toro's own unique, high concept flair. And what a blast of a concept for a sci fi monster flick. When the New York cockroaches start carrying a deadly virus that's killing children, a scientist (Mira Sorvino) genetically engineers a mutant breed of insect to kill off the infectious ones. Her plan works, but there's just one problem: they have both bred and evolved into something monstrous. Many insects use mimicry as a defence mechanism or a predatory lure. These ones become so advanced and massive that they can imitate the silhouette of a shadowy human figure. Terrifying, right? Not the kind of thing you'd wanna run into in a dark alley on your own. They lurk around dank areas of the NYC subway system, preying on vagrants and anyone who comes near them. Pretty soon word gets back to Sorvino, who realizes her mistake and attempts to find, confront and stop the creatures. It's schlocky, yet has a specific biological order and symmetry to the things which go bump in the night, which is Del Toro's trademark, really. He always gives his otherworldly beasts such a sense of purpose and functionality to captivate us. Jeremy Northam plays Sorvino's boyfriend, along for the spooky ride, as well as F. Murray Abraham as a kindly professor, Charles Dutton as a wise cracking cop, Giancarlo Gianninni as an Italian shoe shiner, a brief Norman Reedus and a scene stealing Josh Brolin as a sarcastic Detective. It may not have everyone's seal of approval, and hold the stigma of being the black sheep in Del Toro's stable, but it's got merits in my books. It's got a boundless imagination, one of the creepiest, smoke machine infested New York City settings in the horror genre, and above all knows how to have fun.

Mimic (1997): Dir: Guilleramo Del Toro / Cast: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Josh Brolin, Charles S. Dutton, F. Murray Abraham: Appropriately titled because it copies every Alien inspired film out there. Mira Sorvino plays a scientist who creates a breed of insects called Judas Breed through genetic engineering. It is suppose to destroy a troublesome roach population and die after six months but that doesn't seem to happen. When people begin to disappear Sorvino and company venture down to an old subway area where they are picked off one by one. Screenplay is completely recycled without a shred of originality. Director Guilleramo Del Toro has fun with it, which is fitting since he made Cronos. The special effects are the film's best asset although they never distract from the fact that we have seen variations of them in better films. Sorvino is way too talented for such flat material. At one point she is abducted by one of the creatures, but in theory, it was probably preventing her from fleeing the set. Among flat supporting players are Jeremy Northam, Josh Brolin and Charles S. Dutton and they are basically there to play lunch on the menu for these creatures to dine upon. F. Murray Abraham is an Oscar winner and seeing him reduced to this is painful. It is a pointless parade of disgust that should never be mimicked or even seen again for that matter. Score: 2 / 10

When sitting through one of the MANY giant bug movies of decades past, one often finds oneself wondering what a good, contemporary version of one of those movies might be like. Well, wonder no more: Del Toro did it, and MIMIC is what he did. It's creepy and beautiful at the same time (like everything else he's done) and boasts an outstanding performance by yet another child actor. In fact, my favorite parts of the movie are the scenes with the kid, "Chuy." While I would've liked to have seen him play a much bigger part in the eventual outcome, it's hard to argue with what Del Toro chose to do: it all fits neatly together, like the pieces of a great big, beautiful puzzle. Anyone who likes old-fashioned Fright Films or even Art House movies will like MIMIC.