Using information received from an extra-terrestrial radio transmission, scientists on earth are able to reconstruct alien DNA and then inject it into a human egg in accordance with the instructions from their source. The scientists are then shocked by the rapid rate of growth from the humanoid creature and fearing that they may have rushed too quickly into this experiment decide to destroy the young female before it can mature. Unfortunately, she escapes and within just a matter of days has attained full adulthood. It is at this point that the scientists realize that they have created a true monster with little concern about destroying anyone who gets in her way. They also discover that she wants to mate. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that Natasha Henstridge was perfectly cast as the beautiful but psychopathic creature named "Sil". I also liked the performance of Forest Whitaker (who played the empath by the name of "Dan Smithson") and Marg Helgenberger (as the micro-biologist named "Dr. Laura Baker"). In any case, I thought this was a pretty good Sci-Fi/Horror film and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.
147 Reviews
Kind of cool and pleasant.....
gridoon29 September 2001
"Species" has a hopelessly derivative premise that makes it a completely unnecessary view for anyone who has ever seen "Alien" or "The Predator" (or their sequels), but it does have some things going for it. To be short and specific: Natasha Henstridge is dreamily, extraordinarily beautiful; the rest of the cast is distinguished, with a very cool Michael Madsen stealing the show; the special effects are convincingly yucky; and the pacing is fast and unrelenting, with the "search-and-destroy" team being always only one step behind the pursued alien "monster". A forgettable film, but not nearly as bad as many reviews have suggested. (**)
Sexy B-movie thriller, great fun!
The_Void10 July 2006
Species is like a meeting between an amateur low budget film, and a big budget horror movie. On the one hand; the film has a great cast and is professionally produced, but on the other - the special effects wouldn't have looked out of place in an eighties film, and the plot concentrates mostly on its sleazy and often silly by-products. That being said, however, the movie is lots of fun; and overall I wouldn't hesitate to call it one of the best horror films of the nineties. The film takes obvious influence from a range of similar films, such as Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce and Jack Sholder's 'The Hidden', but it brings all of it's elements together well and somehow manages to feel fresh and inventive. The plot is pure hokum, but it works well; as alien-human crossover 'Sil' escapes from a testing lab with a team of professionals, comprising a psychic, an action hero, a woman etc, on her tail. Sil's ultimate goal is to reproduce, and to complete that aim she must find a man. So basically, what we have here is a sexy, horny, naked chick being chased around before she can have sex with someone. Sounds good to me...
I'm not quite sure how director Roger Donaldson managed it, but he's managed to get quite a few names to appear in his film; and most of them do well with their roles. Despite the fact that she probably isn't really, Natasha Henstridge looks clean and pure in the lead role; and this both ensures that she looks the part, and the film is great in that it carries off the juxtaposition of having a sweet-looking virginal woman act like a prostitute. Ben Kingsley is the biggest cast surprise, as the former Ghandi actor looks slightly out of place in a B-movie like this. Michael Madsen is absolutely great in his typecast action hero role and the cast is completed by a memorable performance from Alfred Molina, and a rather annoying one from Forest Whitaker. Marg Helgenberger fails to make much of an impression as Madsen's love interest. The two plots that run concurrently are played out well, and climax nicely. The special effects are key in a film like this, and even though they're cheap throughout - they do look fairly realistic. It's not until we get to the end and the director decides to spoil it with some abysmal CGI that the effects become a problem. But even so, Species takes its plot well and isn't too serious, and I've got to rate this as a really fun flick overall.
I'm not quite sure how director Roger Donaldson managed it, but he's managed to get quite a few names to appear in his film; and most of them do well with their roles. Despite the fact that she probably isn't really, Natasha Henstridge looks clean and pure in the lead role; and this both ensures that she looks the part, and the film is great in that it carries off the juxtaposition of having a sweet-looking virginal woman act like a prostitute. Ben Kingsley is the biggest cast surprise, as the former Ghandi actor looks slightly out of place in a B-movie like this. Michael Madsen is absolutely great in his typecast action hero role and the cast is completed by a memorable performance from Alfred Molina, and a rather annoying one from Forest Whitaker. Marg Helgenberger fails to make much of an impression as Madsen's love interest. The two plots that run concurrently are played out well, and climax nicely. The special effects are key in a film like this, and even though they're cheap throughout - they do look fairly realistic. It's not until we get to the end and the director decides to spoil it with some abysmal CGI that the effects become a problem. But even so, Species takes its plot well and isn't too serious, and I've got to rate this as a really fun flick overall.
Silly, trashy, but fun b-grade exploitation. If you loved 'Lifeforce' you'll enjoy 'Species'.
Infofreak19 April 2004
Is 'Species' a groundbreaking, visionary SF movie? No, of course not. Is it silly, trashy, but FUN b-grade exploitation SF in the tradition of Tobe Hooper's 'Lifeforce'? You bet! It isn't quite as entertaining as 'Lifeforce', the original naked space chick movie, but it's a still pretty good way to waste an hour and a half of your life. Why it gets slammed so much is beyond me. Maybe people just don't have a sense of humour. The opening of the movie is terrific. In a lab we see a cold scientist (Ben Kingsley) overseeing the murder of a young girl (Michelle Williams), imprisoned in a glass case. Only she escapes by showing some super human strength. She is immediately pursued by dozens of soldiers, but manages to elude them. We then learn she is in fact a genetic experiment, a mixing of extraterrestrial and human DNA. Kingsley heads up a task force consisting of Michael Madsen, Alfred Molina, Marg Helgenberger and Forest Whitaker, each a specialist in a different field. Pretty soon our alien fugitive mutates into a gorgeous blonde (Natasha Henstridge), who spends most of her time topless. Kingsley and company face a race against time, they must capture the horny alien girl before she screws guys to death(?) or something... Who knows. Henstridge is great to look at and the above average cast give it their best shot with the lame dialogue and cliched scenes. Whitaker's empath character quickly irritates with his constant stating the bleedin' obvious, but I always get a kick out of watching Madsen, here in stereotypical tough guy mode. 'Species' is big dumb fun.
One of the Best Sci-Fis of the 90's
claudio_carvalho22 November 2007
For thirty years, powerful telescopes have been scanning the space searching from signal of alien civilization. In 1974, the SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) team sends a message to the space with the human DNA, map of our solar system and other information. In return, they receive two messages: the first one, with a catalyst for methane; the second, a detailed alien DNA together with instructions to join it with human DNA. The result of the experiment is the deadly creature Sil. When Dr. Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley), who is leading the research, decides to terminate the experiment, the girl Sil (Michelle Williams) escapes to Los Angeles. Dr. Fitch joins the mercenary Preston Lennox (Michael Madsen); the anthropologist Dr. Stephen Arden (Alfred Molina); the scientist Dr. Laura Baker (Marg Helgenberger); and the empathic Dan Smithson (Forest Whitaker) to chase Sil (Natasha Henstridge). Sooner they discover that the predator Sil has grown-up and became a beautiful woman, trying to copulate to generate an offspring.
"Species" is one of the best sci-fis of the 90's. Full of action, sexy and with a great cast, this film introduces the stunning Natasha Henstridge, one of the most gorgeous and sexy actresses of Hollywood ever. Her debut could not be better, and together with the cult Michael Madsen, they make this pleasant movie work. The story recalls those B-movies from the 50's, but spiced with erotic and very sexy scenes. I have just watched this movie for the fourth time, and I do not get tired to this attractive story. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Experiência" ("The Experience")
"Species" is one of the best sci-fis of the 90's. Full of action, sexy and with a great cast, this film introduces the stunning Natasha Henstridge, one of the most gorgeous and sexy actresses of Hollywood ever. Her debut could not be better, and together with the cult Michael Madsen, they make this pleasant movie work. The story recalls those B-movies from the 50's, but spiced with erotic and very sexy scenes. I have just watched this movie for the fourth time, and I do not get tired to this attractive story. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Experiência" ("The Experience")
Learn to accept it as a near porno flick, and it's quite fun
lee_eisenberg15 July 2007
While "Species" has as its actual plot a group of scientists looking for an escaped alien specimen - did somebody say "Alien" ripoff? - I derived that the whole movie was really an excuse to show off Natasha Henstridge's breasts. If in fact that was the film's purpose, then they did a pretty good job with it (seriously, not many movies get sexier than this). If the flick was supposed to have any real purpose beyond that, then I don't know what they were thinking. Just accept that the movie probably got made with the aim of sexually arousing teenage boys, and it'll be perfectly easy to enjoy the flick. Personally, I wouldn't mind getting slinky with that alien babe! Also starring Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Marg Helgenberger and Forest Whitaker. I don't know whether or not they want to stress this film when discussing their careers.
Amusing Alien Sleaze
Steve_Nyland15 August 2009
Let's face it, SPECIES is a B movie with an A list cast & production design to match. It's a deceptive entertainment that finally shows it's hand during the boring, silly showdown in the sewer level from Quake II where you have to find the red key & beat the boss monster without the quad damage. I'd always drown before I could find the biosuit. Why this was never made into an adults oriented video game is beyond me, other than the obvious problem with marketing it to teenagers.
The whole SPECIES franchise was meant to cash in on the success of the ALIEN films, obviously, and go straight for the amniotic fluid in the reproductive cycle at the expense of logic, probability, and science. It's probably a better movie than it had to be and I'm sure that multiple viewings will bring out more nuances, though that's probably not the idea they had in mind when making it. Once will suffice for most viewers.
I enjoyed seeing Natasha Henstridge naked, however, and the H.R. Giger creature designs are fabulous as always. In fact I wondered, is the whole film really a contrivance just to get to see Giger's aliens mating with humans? Why yes, it probably is. And for some people that's enough to warrant watching it regardless of whom the lead body actress is. Giger's designs were sexually suggestive to begin with and with this movie he finally got to see them doing the nasty. I trust he was well paid.
In any event it's a wildly popular film for reasons that have nothing to do with the professionalism of the cast & crew. Which by the way someone should have told them before prodding us with their serious, emotive performances that serve as buffer zones between the sex & ooze scenes. Only Michael Madsen seems to be aware that it was essentially an exploitation film and acts accordingly. He's spoken of his pride in the work and it shows, especially when considering that he turned up for SPECIES 2 with it's bonus deathmatch levels and Capture The Flag mod.
6/10
The whole SPECIES franchise was meant to cash in on the success of the ALIEN films, obviously, and go straight for the amniotic fluid in the reproductive cycle at the expense of logic, probability, and science. It's probably a better movie than it had to be and I'm sure that multiple viewings will bring out more nuances, though that's probably not the idea they had in mind when making it. Once will suffice for most viewers.
I enjoyed seeing Natasha Henstridge naked, however, and the H.R. Giger creature designs are fabulous as always. In fact I wondered, is the whole film really a contrivance just to get to see Giger's aliens mating with humans? Why yes, it probably is. And for some people that's enough to warrant watching it regardless of whom the lead body actress is. Giger's designs were sexually suggestive to begin with and with this movie he finally got to see them doing the nasty. I trust he was well paid.
In any event it's a wildly popular film for reasons that have nothing to do with the professionalism of the cast & crew. Which by the way someone should have told them before prodding us with their serious, emotive performances that serve as buffer zones between the sex & ooze scenes. Only Michael Madsen seems to be aware that it was essentially an exploitation film and acts accordingly. He's spoken of his pride in the work and it shows, especially when considering that he turned up for SPECIES 2 with it's bonus deathmatch levels and Capture The Flag mod.
6/10
bad because of what it could have been
fog-910 February 2006
species has an interesting premise, and apparently had the involvement of HR giger... according to another reviewer, the plot was stolen from an old BBC production... i can't say how true that is, but one thing is for sure... plagiarised or not it could have made a great movie, and with giger on board it could have been the "alien" of the 90's...
it seems to be content with being a b-grade killer monster flick, with tired clichés and a lack of suspense...
i loved the idea of the aliens propagating themselves by a signal, which other civilisations use to bring the creature into being... i loved the "alien dreams" scenes, and natasha henstridge is a good choice to be the lethal seed bearer... instead of delving into the fascinating realms the premise offers, like the alien's character and feelings (and the internal struggle with its human aspects), it merely hints and tantalises us with them...
instead we get the standard "race against time"... a squandered opportunity, and probably the reason why this movie fails rather for what it could have been, as opposed to what it is...
contrary to what other reviewers have said, i think this is one of the few horror/sci-fi movies that actually required nudity... although i think gratuity is a ridiculous concept when applied to nudity in films anyway...
it seems to be content with being a b-grade killer monster flick, with tired clichés and a lack of suspense...
i loved the idea of the aliens propagating themselves by a signal, which other civilisations use to bring the creature into being... i loved the "alien dreams" scenes, and natasha henstridge is a good choice to be the lethal seed bearer... instead of delving into the fascinating realms the premise offers, like the alien's character and feelings (and the internal struggle with its human aspects), it merely hints and tantalises us with them...
instead we get the standard "race against time"... a squandered opportunity, and probably the reason why this movie fails rather for what it could have been, as opposed to what it is...
contrary to what other reviewers have said, i think this is one of the few horror/sci-fi movies that actually required nudity... although i think gratuity is a ridiculous concept when applied to nudity in films anyway...
Kind of fun
preppy-39 January 2005
Some scientists working for the government tamper with a DNA sequence they got from a message from outer space. The subject turns into a little girl with amazing superhuman powers. She escapes and turns into a beautiful woman (Natasha Herstridge) who wants to mate and produce others like her. A team led by a head scientist (Ben Kingsley!) try to track her down.
OK--it's kind of silly but this moves quickly and is well-done. There are many excellent, if gruesome, special effects and the SIL creature at the end is truly astounding. The script is good (considering) and it actually makes sense...if you don't think about it too much.
Acting varies--Kingsley is TERRIBLE in his role. Michael Madsen is pretty good as part of the team as are Marg Helgenberger and (especially) Forest Whitaker. Herstridge is certainly beautiful but can't act--but the role doesn't call for acting.
I'm giving it an 8. It's no classic but it moves quickly and I was never bored.
OK--it's kind of silly but this moves quickly and is well-done. There are many excellent, if gruesome, special effects and the SIL creature at the end is truly astounding. The script is good (considering) and it actually makes sense...if you don't think about it too much.
Acting varies--Kingsley is TERRIBLE in his role. Michael Madsen is pretty good as part of the team as are Marg Helgenberger and (especially) Forest Whitaker. Herstridge is certainly beautiful but can't act--but the role doesn't call for acting.
I'm giving it an 8. It's no classic but it moves quickly and I was never bored.
Alien in a pretty package
SnoopyStyle26 April 2015
In 1993, SETI program receives a transmission documenting how to splice alien DNA with human DNA. Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley) leads a secret government project to do just that. They created Sil (Michelle Williams). Her growth is extremely rapid. When Fitch tries to destroy her, she escapes. She metamorphoses into a grow woman (Natasha Henstridge). She learns quickly in a world she doesn't know. Fitch gathers a diverse team to find and kill the potentially dangerous creature. Dr. Stephen Arden (Alfred Molina) is an anthropologist. Dr. Laura Baker (Marg Helgenberger) is a molecular biologist. Dan Smithson (Forest Whitaker) is an empath and Preston Lennox (Michael Madsen) is the mercenary.
There is enough backstory to justify it. I really like the idea that she's interstellar weed to kill off humanity. It's Alien in a pretty package. Alien is one of my favorite movie and I certainly don't mind the pretty package. Natasha Henstridge is a little more than simply pretty. She shows both wide-eyed innocence and a bit of murderous spark. The empath is ridiculous but I still like the hunt and the thrills.
There is enough backstory to justify it. I really like the idea that she's interstellar weed to kill off humanity. It's Alien in a pretty package. Alien is one of my favorite movie and I certainly don't mind the pretty package. Natasha Henstridge is a little more than simply pretty. She shows both wide-eyed innocence and a bit of murderous spark. The empath is ridiculous but I still like the hunt and the thrills.
Babelien
JoeytheBrit17 September 2008
Natasha Henstridge, eh? What a woman! She likes to wander around topless which is rather nice, but is a little too demanding in the bedroom and swimming pool departments for my liking.
This film is as daft as they come. Henstridge plays a comely lab-created alien desperate to procreate before she becomes a victim of accelerated ageing. Having escaped from the clutches of Ben Kingsley's rather ineffectual Dr Fitch, Henstridge roams mid-90s LA looking for suitable mates, only to find herself repeatedly foiled for a variety of unconvincing reasons while Fitch gathers together a motley crew to help him catch his runaway alien. There's Preston Lennox (Michael Madsen), a government hit-man, Laura Baker (Marg Helgenberger), some kind of doctor (for whom Lennox unaccountably falls), Arden (a wasted Alfred Molina) another doctor, and, most hilarious of all, Forrest Whittaker as a childlike 'empath.' Having been given their mission, these gallant five set off in their transit van (conjuring memories of Scoobie's gang for some reason) in lukewarm pursuit of Henstridge.
If it wasn't for the fact that Henstridge spends a decent amount of screen time without her clothes, I would be tempted to say that Whittaker or, more accurately, his character - is the best thing about this flick, although probably not in the way that writer Denis Feldman intended. Sitting in the car recently abandoned by Henstridge, Whittaker points in the direction in which the car is facing and, in a dreamy voice, intones, 'she walked she walked that way.' I mean, come on, what a man! Lesser psychics would have pointed skywards and declared 'she hopped she hopped that way,' but not our Forest.
The film 'borrows' little snippets from a host of other, better, movies, and tries to mesh them together into a coherent whole, but Feldman is not a particularly talented writer and possesses neither the imagination or wit to create anything even remotely interesting. The film's climax is particularly badly bodged.
This film is as daft as they come. Henstridge plays a comely lab-created alien desperate to procreate before she becomes a victim of accelerated ageing. Having escaped from the clutches of Ben Kingsley's rather ineffectual Dr Fitch, Henstridge roams mid-90s LA looking for suitable mates, only to find herself repeatedly foiled for a variety of unconvincing reasons while Fitch gathers together a motley crew to help him catch his runaway alien. There's Preston Lennox (Michael Madsen), a government hit-man, Laura Baker (Marg Helgenberger), some kind of doctor (for whom Lennox unaccountably falls), Arden (a wasted Alfred Molina) another doctor, and, most hilarious of all, Forrest Whittaker as a childlike 'empath.' Having been given their mission, these gallant five set off in their transit van (conjuring memories of Scoobie's gang for some reason) in lukewarm pursuit of Henstridge.
If it wasn't for the fact that Henstridge spends a decent amount of screen time without her clothes, I would be tempted to say that Whittaker or, more accurately, his character - is the best thing about this flick, although probably not in the way that writer Denis Feldman intended. Sitting in the car recently abandoned by Henstridge, Whittaker points in the direction in which the car is facing and, in a dreamy voice, intones, 'she walked she walked that way.' I mean, come on, what a man! Lesser psychics would have pointed skywards and declared 'she hopped she hopped that way,' but not our Forest.
The film 'borrows' little snippets from a host of other, better, movies, and tries to mesh them together into a coherent whole, but Feldman is not a particularly talented writer and possesses neither the imagination or wit to create anything even remotely interesting. The film's climax is particularly badly bodged.
Not as original as you may think!
uds329 September 2002
Admittedly you would either need to be 50 plus with a good memory, or to be a well-versed student of older sci-fi but in 1961 Miss Julie Christie made her screen debut in the British TV Sci-fi serial A FOR ANDROMEDA. The plot? Signals are received from deep-space seemingly the blue-print for the creation of human life. Scientists of course find the opportunity way too tempting and before you can say "Told you that was a dumb move!" we have a genetically engineered, rather stunning young blonde walking around the lab, causing all sorts of political and scientific unrest.....sound familiar?
Yep, SPECIES was a total conceptual rip-off and to my knowledge, either no-one has ever noticed the fact OR has failed to put such view into print. Certainly not a solitary film critic worldwide that I read at the time was aware of the fact! That said, SPECIES wasn't a total flopperoo although Ben Kingsley looked majorly uncomfortable, if not stunned for the greater part of the flick, as the head science honcho really wanting his creation (the delectable and statuesque Miss Henstridge) dead on sight....a task he bequeathes to Mr Madsen who always enjoys work of this sort!
Never really scales the heights. Neither a major gore-fest or a jaw-dropping ALIEN-wannabe. It labors on beneath its own mediocrity and when it finally finishes, about the only emotion left to the viewer is.."Hmmmmm, OK, now I've seen SPECIES....what's for dinner?" Compared to its sequel however, it remains a rare masterpiece!
Yep, SPECIES was a total conceptual rip-off and to my knowledge, either no-one has ever noticed the fact OR has failed to put such view into print. Certainly not a solitary film critic worldwide that I read at the time was aware of the fact! That said, SPECIES wasn't a total flopperoo although Ben Kingsley looked majorly uncomfortable, if not stunned for the greater part of the flick, as the head science honcho really wanting his creation (the delectable and statuesque Miss Henstridge) dead on sight....a task he bequeathes to Mr Madsen who always enjoys work of this sort!
Never really scales the heights. Neither a major gore-fest or a jaw-dropping ALIEN-wannabe. It labors on beneath its own mediocrity and when it finally finishes, about the only emotion left to the viewer is.."Hmmmmm, OK, now I've seen SPECIES....what's for dinner?" Compared to its sequel however, it remains a rare masterpiece!
Sure it's dated and outclassed... but it has its glories
rzajac31 December 2016
Pretty much B-movie territory... but like I said it has its moments of real class.
As the adult S1L works out her destiny, there are times you feel like you're seeing the kinds of primitive psychological insights into an idealized character, such as you'd get from Philip K. Dick or Jerome Bixby. I found those flashes refreshing and exciting. I also sometimes found myself gripped by the central existential issue: That the fate of the human race rests on the outcome, no less than in the original "Alien".
But, yes, these rather pristine story elements wind up a bit inundated by the succession of de rigeur horror flick alien/human encounters.
And there is the fact that one of the most interesting plot points is a tech hubris of ginormous proportions (NO SPOILER: It's revealed in the first 10 minutes): WHO the HECK's Bright Idea was it to shotgun a DNA sequence radioed from outer space into a human egg?!?!?! Sheesh!!!
So, with the proviso that it's pretty much a horror movie snack, it's worth watching for the aforementioned sterling conceptual stings, the general decent production values, the nicely turned dramatic tension over the outcome, and almost all of the acting. There are some letdowns, but I still consider this a not-half-bad "period" classic of the genre.
As the adult S1L works out her destiny, there are times you feel like you're seeing the kinds of primitive psychological insights into an idealized character, such as you'd get from Philip K. Dick or Jerome Bixby. I found those flashes refreshing and exciting. I also sometimes found myself gripped by the central existential issue: That the fate of the human race rests on the outcome, no less than in the original "Alien".
But, yes, these rather pristine story elements wind up a bit inundated by the succession of de rigeur horror flick alien/human encounters.
And there is the fact that one of the most interesting plot points is a tech hubris of ginormous proportions (NO SPOILER: It's revealed in the first 10 minutes): WHO the HECK's Bright Idea was it to shotgun a DNA sequence radioed from outer space into a human egg?!?!?! Sheesh!!!
So, with the proviso that it's pretty much a horror movie snack, it's worth watching for the aforementioned sterling conceptual stings, the general decent production values, the nicely turned dramatic tension over the outcome, and almost all of the acting. There are some letdowns, but I still consider this a not-half-bad "period" classic of the genre.
Dreadful
hitchs7 September 2001
What on earth is Ben Kingsley, that tremendously talented actor, doing in this piece of garbage? Species is put together on the principle that if you have enough violence, sex and nudity, you do not need a coherent story line. There is not even a pretense of making sense. I have not seen and will not see Species II, but apparently that's even worse.
Still enjoyable 27 years later...
paul_haakonsen27 July 2022
I have to say that there is just something oddly enjoyable about this 1995 sci-fi horror movie from writer Dennis Feldman and director Roger Donaldson. And it is a movie that I have been returning to watch a couple of times over the past 27 years.
The storyline told in "Species", as written by Dennis Feldman, is enjoyable and has remained enjoyable with each viewing since 1995. So thumbs up to the writer on that accomplishment. It is the combination of something terrible from Outer Space but cloaked in human skin that works so well in the movie. Plus the fact that H. R. Giger designed the creature definitely also brought a lot of otherworldly countenance to the movie.
Not only does the movie have a good storyline, but it definitely also has a great cast ensemble, with some talented actors and actresses on the cast list. The movie has Natasha Henstridge, Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, Marg Helgenberger, Michael Madsen and Alfred Molina on the cast list. So you have quite the talented and adverse cast ensemble here.
The practical special effects in "Species" are good, and I just love that H. R. Giger design. The CGI effects in the movie, however, are a whole different matter entirely. The CGI has no aged gracefully, and it is quite an eyesore to witness.
"Species" is a great sci-fi horror movie, and it is definitely one well-worth watching.
My rating of this 1995 sci-fi horror movie from director Roger Donaldson lands on a six out of ten stars.
The storyline told in "Species", as written by Dennis Feldman, is enjoyable and has remained enjoyable with each viewing since 1995. So thumbs up to the writer on that accomplishment. It is the combination of something terrible from Outer Space but cloaked in human skin that works so well in the movie. Plus the fact that H. R. Giger designed the creature definitely also brought a lot of otherworldly countenance to the movie.
Not only does the movie have a good storyline, but it definitely also has a great cast ensemble, with some talented actors and actresses on the cast list. The movie has Natasha Henstridge, Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, Marg Helgenberger, Michael Madsen and Alfred Molina on the cast list. So you have quite the talented and adverse cast ensemble here.
The practical special effects in "Species" are good, and I just love that H. R. Giger design. The CGI effects in the movie, however, are a whole different matter entirely. The CGI has no aged gracefully, and it is quite an eyesore to witness.
"Species" is a great sci-fi horror movie, and it is definitely one well-worth watching.
My rating of this 1995 sci-fi horror movie from director Roger Donaldson lands on a six out of ten stars.
Sexy Natasha endangers the male species!
Coventry28 April 2006
Ah finally! An excuse to stare at gorgeous boobs, cleverly disguised as Sci-Fi cinema! Well maybe that's a tad bit exaggerated but, still, the multiple sequences in which Natasha Henstridge walks around topless are unquestionably the most memorable moments of the entire movie. In her debut role, stunning Natasha plays a secret government project, namely the very first scientific hybrid of human and alien DNA. During the opening sequences, she's still a teenage girl but already incredibly strong and too dangerous to keep alive any longer. When project leader Fitch (Ben Kinsley) attempts to destroy her with gas, she escapes on a train and Michelle Williams transforms into Natasha Henstridge. What's the sole thing on a sexy blond alien's mind when she drifts through L.A. all by herself? Procreate, of course, and thus Sil (her codename) hooks up with random men as she's looking for the perfect sperm donor. Meanwhile, Fitch assembles an elite squad that'll be charged with hunting down Sil and annihilate her before she copulates the entire male population to death. "Species" is a pretty bad movie, yet horror and Sci-Fi fans will definitely find it entertaining due to its large amount of gore and trashy sleaze. The action-sequences are well illustrated and exciting but, as soon the script tries to be intellectual, the whole thing looks stupid and dreary. Especially the characters don't make much sense. Michael Madsen is (again) supposed to be a tough and merciless bounty hunter, but he has a gingerbread heart and falls for a dull female doctor. Kingsley is profiled to be the cold and heartless scientist but he can't even force his authority on a four-headed crew? Oh, and Forest Whitaker is the lousiest spiritual medium ever! "Something has happened here", he says whilst staring at the bloody aftermath inside the train carriage. Well duh! You're staring at corpse and the juicy leftovers of an alien cocoon! The special effects are blobby and they regularly brought back memories of cheap B-movies from the 80's, which was nice. Like I said, "Species" is a lot of fun as long as none of the characters open their mouths to speak.
"Lizard, lizard, girl!"
Kamurai2518 October 2020
Good watch, would watch again, and can recommend.
This was a hit movie at the time, and other than the Xenos design, I'd say it is still a pretty good movie. The "anti-Jaws" approach of showing the monster off is really cool as the premise is largely how detailed and dangerous the xenos is, but the approach removes a lot of the suspense in the hunting and subterfuge, almost humanizing her as "hunted by the evil government entity".
While it would be a much different, and arguably better, movie to do something more like "The Thing", that she only has one human mask sorts of outs her, making it more like a spy movie, and I think they did really well with that in mind.
It just lacks the level of nuance and hidden information that spy and thriller movies tend to have.
It's much closer to "Aliens" than "Alien".
This was a hit movie at the time, and other than the Xenos design, I'd say it is still a pretty good movie. The "anti-Jaws" approach of showing the monster off is really cool as the premise is largely how detailed and dangerous the xenos is, but the approach removes a lot of the suspense in the hunting and subterfuge, almost humanizing her as "hunted by the evil government entity".
While it would be a much different, and arguably better, movie to do something more like "The Thing", that she only has one human mask sorts of outs her, making it more like a spy movie, and I think they did really well with that in mind.
It just lacks the level of nuance and hidden information that spy and thriller movies tend to have.
It's much closer to "Aliens" than "Alien".
Fun and entertaining low-brow movie!
craigh014 June 2017
Not all movies have to be intense and hard to figure out. Sometimes they can just be fun, and this one is.
You have to suspend disbelief on a few technical scientific things, such as sending a message from SETI into outer space, remember that radio waves travel at the speed of light, and the nearest star to use is 4.3 light years away. So at BEST it would take 8 years to send/receive a message, but most stars in our galaxy are 50,000 light years away or so, so the message to one of those would take 100,000 years to send/receive.
Then we can't create DNA of a human, how are we going to create the DNA of an Alien species from scratch given just the data about it? But don't worry about those details, just have fun with it, watch the pretty little half-alien girl kill with much gore.. And the team of experts they send to catch the now fully-grown woman/alien is kind of fun too. Very cliché characters, but still fun.
I like the deep, hard-to-understand movies as well, but this one kept me entertained all the way through. Not the greatest movie ever made but not boring either. A fun B-movie type science fiction/horror movie, but with good actors.
I'm giving it an 8, which to me means, "liked it", whereas a 6 to me would mean "it was OK". It was more than OK so I give it an 8.
You have to suspend disbelief on a few technical scientific things, such as sending a message from SETI into outer space, remember that radio waves travel at the speed of light, and the nearest star to use is 4.3 light years away. So at BEST it would take 8 years to send/receive a message, but most stars in our galaxy are 50,000 light years away or so, so the message to one of those would take 100,000 years to send/receive.
Then we can't create DNA of a human, how are we going to create the DNA of an Alien species from scratch given just the data about it? But don't worry about those details, just have fun with it, watch the pretty little half-alien girl kill with much gore.. And the team of experts they send to catch the now fully-grown woman/alien is kind of fun too. Very cliché characters, but still fun.
I like the deep, hard-to-understand movies as well, but this one kept me entertained all the way through. Not the greatest movie ever made but not boring either. A fun B-movie type science fiction/horror movie, but with good actors.
I'm giving it an 8, which to me means, "liked it", whereas a 6 to me would mean "it was OK". It was more than OK so I give it an 8.
The best and sexiest of all the species movies!!!
justin-fencsak14 September 2018
When this movie first came out, it introduced the world to Natasha Henstridge, a famous supermodel who became the first sex symbol to portray a bad alien in a major movie. I got this movie for free when i subscribed to Total Movie, which was a short lived DVD magazine, in pan and scan only with 5.1 audio. I saw it on vhs too. Ben Kingsley plays the scientist on a mission to track her down. The success of this movie spawned several sequels, all of which aren't as good as the first one.
"Feces" Would've Been A More Appropriate Title
MadReviewer7 August 2001
There's certain films that I like to call "trailer flicks" -- films that look like terrific fun as a ninety-second trailer or preview, but make a rotten ninety-minute movie. "Species" is a terrific example of a trailer flick. Lots of action, lots of science fiction technobabble, alien monster designs by H.R. Giger (of "Alien"), good actors, a drop-dead gorgeous, sexy babe to play a sex-crazed alien . . . what more could a filmgoer (or, at least a sci-fi filmgeek) want? As it turns out, quite a lot, actually. Like a plot. Or a sense of direction. Or an ounce of common sense. Or a clue. "Species" features none of these commodities, which makes it unappealing for the vast majority of filmgoers; it also features precious few moments of excitement, gratuitous violence, and gratuitous nudity, which makes it unappealing for the teenaged male filmgeek audience. Either way, the movie is pure garbage, little more than a "Friday the 13th, Part 5" film with a sci-fi label slapped on its side.
The convoluted mess that passes itself off as a story in "Species" actually starts off with a slightly interesting premise: Radio telescopes pick up signals from deep space that, when translated properly, reveal a formula for an alien DNA string that can be combined with human DNA. This DNA combination, in theory, should produce a hybrid creature that has both human and alien characteristics, allowing humans to learn about this alien species in a manner that is at least slightly familiar ground. The premise, though, quickly devolves into schlock as the alien hybrid -- named "Sil" (Natasha Henstridge) -- quickly develops and matures into a blonde bombshell capable of posing as a Penthouse centerfold. She also develops a need to breed with human males -- turns out that her progeny, of course, will turn into vicious alien killers that want to destroy humankind. Scientists figure out a little too late that Sil is basically bad news for mankind, so she is able to escape from them without much difficulty, and it is left up to Professor Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley) and his motley crew of scientists and soldier to either capture or destroy Sil before she can mutate into her true, disgusting, alien form and is able to set in motion the destruction of the Earth . . .
"Species" is predictable to a fault, and offers no insight into any of the potential (and few) interesting ideas it offers. Who are the alien beings? Where do they come from? Why do they care about humanity at all, and why do they want the human race wiped out of existence? Because alien beings are bad -- at least that's the only explanation offered. Sil, the alien hybrid, also offers some true glimmers of interest. At one point in the film, when confronted with her destructive nature, she asks her creators "What am I?" in a somewhat pitiful manner -- her need to mate and destroy is driven by instinct, not by conscious thought, and even she recognizes the horror lurking inside her. A savvier film would've explored this idea further; "Species" instead chooses to focus on deep, insightful things like Sil removing her bra in slow motion, blood, and big explosions. By the time our supposedly smart heroes are chasing Sil through a dark labyrinth of sewers, it's obvious that "Species" has nothing to offer apart from the message offered in the first ten minutes -- alien beings are bad.
The direction of "Species" is obscenely lazy -- most of the supposed thrills generated by the film involve Sil jumping out of the darkness and attacking things. This works maybe once or twice, but after the first dozen or so times, it stops being even remotely scary. Director Roger Donaldson's solution to this problem is so simply start adding blood and gore to these scenes, which again works once or twice . . . and then gets boring fast. Unfortunately, everything gets permanently boring somewhere around the halfway mark of the film. "Species" is a film that thinks it's enough to just show up with cool-looking monsters and special effects . . . wrong. It's called suspense, and it's sorely missing from this film. You'd think that a film borrowing from the look and designs of "Alien" would at least have the decency to check out how Ridley Scott made "Alien" a masterpiece of suspense.
The acting? Not much can be said about it, apart from it's mediocre at best, awful at worst. It's hard to knock Natasha Henstridge for a role that merely asks that she become eye candy for the first half of the film -- she does exactly that, and nothing more. I hope she was paid well. As for Ben Kingsley . . . I'm a big fan of his in other films, but he simply mails in a performance here. He actually looks bored in his scenes. I can't say I blame him, given how bad this flick is, but still, c'mon, a little effort, please? The rest of the cast is completely forgettable, which is probably a good thing. I wouldn't want to be remembered as a featured actor in "Species", either.
"Species" is a film that aspires for big-budget greatness. Unfortunately, it's crap that even Roger Corman wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. There's worse sci-fi films than "Species" -- namely, "Species 2" -- but not many. Unless you want to deliberately waste an hour and a half of your life, don't bother with this movie. Grade: D
The convoluted mess that passes itself off as a story in "Species" actually starts off with a slightly interesting premise: Radio telescopes pick up signals from deep space that, when translated properly, reveal a formula for an alien DNA string that can be combined with human DNA. This DNA combination, in theory, should produce a hybrid creature that has both human and alien characteristics, allowing humans to learn about this alien species in a manner that is at least slightly familiar ground. The premise, though, quickly devolves into schlock as the alien hybrid -- named "Sil" (Natasha Henstridge) -- quickly develops and matures into a blonde bombshell capable of posing as a Penthouse centerfold. She also develops a need to breed with human males -- turns out that her progeny, of course, will turn into vicious alien killers that want to destroy humankind. Scientists figure out a little too late that Sil is basically bad news for mankind, so she is able to escape from them without much difficulty, and it is left up to Professor Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley) and his motley crew of scientists and soldier to either capture or destroy Sil before she can mutate into her true, disgusting, alien form and is able to set in motion the destruction of the Earth . . .
"Species" is predictable to a fault, and offers no insight into any of the potential (and few) interesting ideas it offers. Who are the alien beings? Where do they come from? Why do they care about humanity at all, and why do they want the human race wiped out of existence? Because alien beings are bad -- at least that's the only explanation offered. Sil, the alien hybrid, also offers some true glimmers of interest. At one point in the film, when confronted with her destructive nature, she asks her creators "What am I?" in a somewhat pitiful manner -- her need to mate and destroy is driven by instinct, not by conscious thought, and even she recognizes the horror lurking inside her. A savvier film would've explored this idea further; "Species" instead chooses to focus on deep, insightful things like Sil removing her bra in slow motion, blood, and big explosions. By the time our supposedly smart heroes are chasing Sil through a dark labyrinth of sewers, it's obvious that "Species" has nothing to offer apart from the message offered in the first ten minutes -- alien beings are bad.
The direction of "Species" is obscenely lazy -- most of the supposed thrills generated by the film involve Sil jumping out of the darkness and attacking things. This works maybe once or twice, but after the first dozen or so times, it stops being even remotely scary. Director Roger Donaldson's solution to this problem is so simply start adding blood and gore to these scenes, which again works once or twice . . . and then gets boring fast. Unfortunately, everything gets permanently boring somewhere around the halfway mark of the film. "Species" is a film that thinks it's enough to just show up with cool-looking monsters and special effects . . . wrong. It's called suspense, and it's sorely missing from this film. You'd think that a film borrowing from the look and designs of "Alien" would at least have the decency to check out how Ridley Scott made "Alien" a masterpiece of suspense.
The acting? Not much can be said about it, apart from it's mediocre at best, awful at worst. It's hard to knock Natasha Henstridge for a role that merely asks that she become eye candy for the first half of the film -- she does exactly that, and nothing more. I hope she was paid well. As for Ben Kingsley . . . I'm a big fan of his in other films, but he simply mails in a performance here. He actually looks bored in his scenes. I can't say I blame him, given how bad this flick is, but still, c'mon, a little effort, please? The rest of the cast is completely forgettable, which is probably a good thing. I wouldn't want to be remembered as a featured actor in "Species", either.
"Species" is a film that aspires for big-budget greatness. Unfortunately, it's crap that even Roger Corman wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. There's worse sci-fi films than "Species" -- namely, "Species 2" -- but not many. Unless you want to deliberately waste an hour and a half of your life, don't bother with this movie. Grade: D
Not bad
Kingslaay9 May 2017
Species has a somewhat decent plot and primal fun. A lot of the allure is the beautiful and seductive Natasha Henstridge and her primal goal of becoming impregnated to conceive. This sees her have relations with a number of married man which can be satisfying but watching them die after the encounter was even more satisfying.
The plot and hunt for this alien is interesting and manages to capture the attention throughout. As a child we see her different, unusual but still dangerous. Her intentions and dangerous consequences juxtapose nicely with her radiant beauty. This makes her dangerous and harder to kill.
If you want an interesting flick which is easy to follow and contains some good primal action then Species is recommended.
The plot and hunt for this alien is interesting and manages to capture the attention throughout. As a child we see her different, unusual but still dangerous. Her intentions and dangerous consequences juxtapose nicely with her radiant beauty. This makes her dangerous and harder to kill.
If you want an interesting flick which is easy to follow and contains some good primal action then Species is recommended.
A sci-fi classic
jellyneckr30 July 2004
The movie that introduced the world to the gorgeous Natasha Henstridge, SPECIES is essentially the 90s version of ALIEN. While it isn't quite as good as ALIEN, the special effects are certainly better than the ones in ALIEN. The special effects are the main reason to see SPECIES, which was one of the surprise hits of 1995. I did not see the movie until 1998, but I had heard some of my friends talk about the movie so I decided to check it out when it was on television one night. I was quite surprised how good it actually was. I expected it to be stupid and while there are some scenes where the movie seems to be approaching "B" territory, it's for the most part a solid sci-fi flick. Natasha Henstridge seems to be having fun with her role in her acting debut here. Recommended for sci-fi fans. ***
Introducing Natasha
movieman_kev9 May 2005
As a young girl, Sil (Michelle Williams, who of course would get nude herself in the horror chick flicks, "If These Walls Could Talk 2" and "Me Without you"), a human/alien hybrid, escapes her government captivity. In a matter of days, she turns into Natasha Henstridge who yearns to mate. Micheal Madsen is among the crew assembled to find and kill her. Both Forest Whitaker and Ben "Gandhi" Kingsley are pretty much wasted, but Madsen does alright and Natasha getting nude copious amount of times make this a fun, if brain dead little sci-fi flick. Nothing ground-breaking here, just enjoyable b-movie popcorn fare.
My Grade: B-
DVD Extras: Commentary by Director Roger Donaldson, Micheal Madsen, and Natasha Henstridge; Second commentary by Donaldson, Frank Mancuso Jr, Richard Edlund, and Steve Johnson; Sneak peek at Species 3; Theatrical Trailer; red-band trailer for "the Howling"; trailer for "Jeepers Creepers 2"; one for "Earthsea" (a scifi channel mini-series); and a few montage trailers
Eye Candy: Marg Helgenberger gets topless; Natasha Henstridge shows it all.
My Grade: B-
DVD Extras: Commentary by Director Roger Donaldson, Micheal Madsen, and Natasha Henstridge; Second commentary by Donaldson, Frank Mancuso Jr, Richard Edlund, and Steve Johnson; Sneak peek at Species 3; Theatrical Trailer; red-band trailer for "the Howling"; trailer for "Jeepers Creepers 2"; one for "Earthsea" (a scifi channel mini-series); and a few montage trailers
Eye Candy: Marg Helgenberger gets topless; Natasha Henstridge shows it all.
Could it get any worse?
akuma1093 August 2000
While this film started with an interesting idea, it rapidly degenerated. It failed to be very scary, and mainly seemed to look for new ways to get the lead actress naked, not something good in a horror movie. Further, this film failed to take advantage of the wonderful resources they had in H. R. Giger's art and design cooperation. One of the all time worst, in my opinion.
Severely underrated
bsonnenm6 March 2015
Dennis Feldman's 'Species' is a severely underrated science fiction film from the 90s. The film touches on many themes, including the meaning of life, human desires, specifically procreation, human interaction, kindness/empathy, selfishness, fear, manipulation, intuition, following orders. It does so in a way that is mostly sublime enough that it comes across as genuine. For example there is a fairly believable romance buried in there underneath layers of alien slime. The dialog is mostly well written and to the point, the actors are great and there's lots of attention to detail. Combine that with some great and grotesque visuals, courtesy of the late Hans Ruedi Giger and some Cronenbergian body horror and you're in for a fascinating ride through Los Angeles.
The dialog doesn't always work, like when they're trying to track her down and are quickly jumping to conclusions about things that the audience already knows. Scenes vary in quality, some feel a bit rushed. While the effects are mostly excellent there are some subpar ones, too.
Overall I highly recommend it if you can get something out of sci-fi horror.
The dialog doesn't always work, like when they're trying to track her down and are quickly jumping to conclusions about things that the audience already knows. Scenes vary in quality, some feel a bit rushed. While the effects are mostly excellent there are some subpar ones, too.
Overall I highly recommend it if you can get something out of sci-fi horror.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
