In New York, a deadly disease carried by cockroaches is in danger of wiping out an entire generation of children. Sexy entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) believes that the answer to the problem is a genetically engineered bug, sterile and with a limited lifespan, that secretes an enzyme designed to speed up the roaches metabolism, thereby starving them to death.
Three years after introducing her killer bug to the cockroach community, the disease is a thing of the past; unfortunately, Mother Nature has a surprise up her sleeve—Susan's bugs have evolved into intelligent, man-sized, man-eating monsters capable of mimicking humans.
Although big bug movies are usually tackled in a fun, campy manner given their patently ludicrous premise, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro approaches his tale with the same grim solemnity, symbolism, and dark fairytale style atmosphere which typifies much of his other output. The setting is the grimy streets and even grimier underground system of the Big Apple; it's nearly always raining; and everything is artfully lit by faulty fluorescent lights, which cast eerie shadows and lend a feeling of unease: and the amazing thing is, it probably all would have worked, if it hadn't been for those meddling studio types.
This being del Toro's first Hollywood flick, the people in charge were apparently a little edgy about letting a relatively inexperienced foreigner have complete creative freedom on their project. A little studio interference later and what you have is a pretty decent film that could have been so much better if only the director had been allowed to do his thing without restraint. The end result certainly has its good bits (great production design, a few decent action scenes, cool critters etc.), but there are other moments which feel rushed, ill considered, and just a tad plain awkward.
I particularly disliked the autistic lad whose raison d'être seemed to be to allow Susan Tyler to show her protective maternal side in the finale, much like Ellen Ripley in Aliens, a film to which Mimic bears more than a passing resemblance (a dark claustrophobic atmosphere and a voracious monster that hides in the shadows). The ending, although well handled by del Toro, also contains some ridiculous plot devices, including an abandoned underground trolley that still functions after fifty years, a missing fuse replaced by a pair of wire spectacles, and Susan Tyler's husband somehow escaping a massive gas explosion.
I enjoyed Mimic for what it was—an interesting work from a talented film-maker that sadly failed to meet its potential—and would definitely be interested in seeing a 'Director's Cut' (especially if there's a longer version of the scene where Sorvino is perched on the edge of a bath in her undies—hubba hubba!); but in the meantime, I simply must find out whether Sorvino's hair was deliberately styled to look like an insect's antennae (two strands of hair dangle in front of her face), or whether I'm simply looking too hard for things that just aren't there.
Three years after introducing her killer bug to the cockroach community, the disease is a thing of the past; unfortunately, Mother Nature has a surprise up her sleeve—Susan's bugs have evolved into intelligent, man-sized, man-eating monsters capable of mimicking humans.
Although big bug movies are usually tackled in a fun, campy manner given their patently ludicrous premise, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro approaches his tale with the same grim solemnity, symbolism, and dark fairytale style atmosphere which typifies much of his other output. The setting is the grimy streets and even grimier underground system of the Big Apple; it's nearly always raining; and everything is artfully lit by faulty fluorescent lights, which cast eerie shadows and lend a feeling of unease: and the amazing thing is, it probably all would have worked, if it hadn't been for those meddling studio types.
This being del Toro's first Hollywood flick, the people in charge were apparently a little edgy about letting a relatively inexperienced foreigner have complete creative freedom on their project. A little studio interference later and what you have is a pretty decent film that could have been so much better if only the director had been allowed to do his thing without restraint. The end result certainly has its good bits (great production design, a few decent action scenes, cool critters etc.), but there are other moments which feel rushed, ill considered, and just a tad plain awkward.
I particularly disliked the autistic lad whose raison d'être seemed to be to allow Susan Tyler to show her protective maternal side in the finale, much like Ellen Ripley in Aliens, a film to which Mimic bears more than a passing resemblance (a dark claustrophobic atmosphere and a voracious monster that hides in the shadows). The ending, although well handled by del Toro, also contains some ridiculous plot devices, including an abandoned underground trolley that still functions after fifty years, a missing fuse replaced by a pair of wire spectacles, and Susan Tyler's husband somehow escaping a massive gas explosion.
I enjoyed Mimic for what it was—an interesting work from a talented film-maker that sadly failed to meet its potential—and would definitely be interested in seeing a 'Director's Cut' (especially if there's a longer version of the scene where Sorvino is perched on the edge of a bath in her undies—hubba hubba!); but in the meantime, I simply must find out whether Sorvino's hair was deliberately styled to look like an insect's antennae (two strands of hair dangle in front of her face), or whether I'm simply looking too hard for things that just aren't there.