Splice movie review

As a geek on the order of one who likes openings to movies with pseudo-sciency things, gadgets and beakers with viscous fluids that keep dismembered body parts alive and ready for mayhem, “Splice” sucked me in immediately.

Adrien Brody, Oscar winning actor in the Holocaust movie “The Piano”, stars as scientist Clive Nicoli, who along with his partner and lover, Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley), work with an international corporation to splice together the genes of disparate creatures in the hopes of creating genetic products (proteins, medicines) that will benefit the livestock industry, and make tons of money. Whew! You know that things will go wrong somewhere.

A first real success happens when the scientists create a male and female creature who mate, and together synthesize a protein that shows monetary promise. The International Corporation, who initially provided autonomy to the brilliant but somewhat flighty pair of scientists, decides to redirect their research to solely synthesizing the beneficial protein discovered from the new species, halting the direction of Clive and Elsa’s research. Feeling misused, and cut off from further discovery, the pair, initially led by Elsa, splice DNA into a human ovum, against the wishes of their patron; and the genetic result is something unexpected (that is, if you haven’t seen or read any genetic science fiction in your life).

The words “popcorn” and “movie” come to mind when I think about how I would recommend this movie. Very Very, VERY far from perfect; with some unrealistic plot twists that leave you thinking “huh?”, “Splice” is a Z-grade movie. But then it’s not striving to illuminate philosophical questions about life, and the current human ability to manipulate the genome. At its best, this movie is trying to keep you eating popcorn while you wait for the climaxes you know are about to come. And these climaxes are well done, sometimes riveting. And the spliced creature of the title is extremely well rendered, well acted and creepily appealing.

The familiar scifi tropes of the possibility of interspecies mating, the dangers inherent in humanity playing God and the potential for the destruction of all human life that could be perpetrated by science and its poor decision making in the name of discovery, are all here. There’s subtext and nuance in the hinted at abusive past of Elsa, which makes her needy and then extremely cruel at quick turns in the movie giving you pause, and in my case, made me wonder about Elsa’s past, her mother, and just how abusive her past could have been.

I also wondered about Clive’s co-dependency, and the ease with which he was manipulated by his lover against his better instincts and then ultimately how easily he later crossed ethical lines he may not have crossed without Elsa as his partner, and I could see how he’d pay for his weakness and lack of character sometime later.( Or could have this lack of character simply been consuming love?)

All in all “Splice” is not a movie to spend 12 bucks on in the theater, but as a rental, or late night viewing on a premium cable channel, it’s well worth a look, popcorn at the ready, brain checked at the door.

My review:  if it comes on when you're channel surfing, watch it