Director
Roger Donaldson
Cast
Natasha Henstridge Sil
Ben Kingsley Xavier Fitch
Forest Whitaker Dan Smithson/Empath
Michael Madsen Preston Lennox
Alred Molina Dr. Stephen Arden
Marg Helgenberger………Dr. Laura Baker
DVD Release Date: October 2, 2007
Rating: R
Running Time: 108 Minutes on 2 discs
The Movie
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has been scanning the skies for some time now merely trying to get some sign of life somewhere besides Earth. A few transmissions finally turn up something including some DNA information that could be of great use. Head scientist at SETI, Xavier Fitch, knows they can use that information to create a being that could become the ideal creature. By fusing the DNA coding with that of a young girl, Fitch knows their perfect being is soon to become a reality.
As the DNA enters the young girl’s body, things soon take an ugly turn. Almost immediately she makes her way out the lab violently and very strongly. It seems the alien DNA has already fused with her own giving her super strength that she doesn’t quite know what to do with. The being known as Sil is now on the run and Fitch must get a team together to track her down.
Fitch and his scientists along with a few others start following her trail as she makes her way around looking for a mate. That is Sil’s first priority so that she may reproduce and continue her species on this new planet. She doesn’t know much of the ways of Earth yet, but the longer she is out on her own, the more she learns. Fitch and his team, even though usually at each other’s throats, are always one step behind because not only must they track her, but they must also figure out a way to catch her because she’ll stop at nothing to find a mate and continue on.
Species is one of those films that you are either going to love or totally hate. It has developed quite a cult following since its initial release in 1995 and has those that are truly infatuated with it, but it is no award winner by far. It’s a basic paint by numbers film where a hotheaded big shot thinks he has all the answers and it blows up in his face. In this situation, Fitch believes he can create the perfect species by merging alien and human DNA only to have it predictably backfire. Only in this case, not only does the alien/human hybrid want to kill, but she wants to get a little action. Intense at times? Yes. Silly? Very much so, but still not too bad.
It’s enjoyable for a night when you can’t find something on television and just want to watch something that doesn’t require much thinking. Species has a very simple premise, but it is helped with a stellar cast. Madsen, Whitaker, Henstridge, and Kingsley all do fantastic jobs as always even though they are provided with a script that isn’t too first-rate. A younger and quite skinnier Alfred Molina provides some intense facial expressions as usual to keep things on the serious side. See what I mean by watching a film that doesn’t require much thinking?
The Video
The film is shown in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and looks quite good. Vivid colors are bright and blacks are never too purplish or dark blue in color. The film has really held up well since the over ten years since its release.
The Audio
The film can be heard in either Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound or DTS 5.1 sound and both are quite adequate. The dialogue can always be heard clearly and is never overpowered by the music and such. The soundtrack is quite nice and booms when needed to add some decent moods to everything going on.
Special Features
Audio Commentaries – There are two commentaries which you can listen to and neither is that bad. The first is with Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen, and director Roger Donaldson. This is a decent look at how filming went and what they were trying to accomplish in certain scenes. Pretty cut and paste from other generic commentaries. The second includes Donaldson, producer Frank Mancuso Jr., and the visual and special effects team of Richard Edlund and Steve Johnson. This commentary was a bit more informative and went more into the creativity aspect of the film.
From doing a bit of research, I found that these two commentaries are the same ones available on the 2004 release of Species. At least one new commentary would have been nice.
Engineering Life – Close to seventeen minutes and extremely informative as scientists discuss the true aspects of genetic engineering. They discuss how things would be done in real life as compared to in the film and if everything is actually possible with what technologies are available today. Huge brain test here so be prepared to learn.
HR Giger At Work – This is a twelve minute look at the man that is H.R. Giger and everything that he is about. Donaldson along with other members of the crew and some of the cast discuss Giger and the type of person he is. The creation of Sil and other aliens is shown along with Giger’s house which is the coolest part of the feature by far.
The Making Of Species: The Origin, The Concept, The Discovery – This is a fifty minute feature that is kind of your basic “making of” featurette but it is split into three separate parts and done up nicely. “The Origin” is of course how the idea for Species was thought up by the producers and the thought process behind making it come to life. “The Concept” was simply putting it down on paper in script form and trying to sell the film so it could be made. And then “The Discovery” is a nice look at the beginning of the production design and how it all was finally coming together. A bit dull at moments, but it’s a nice feature overall.
Designing A Hybrid – A close to sixteen minute feature about Sil and everything that went into making her. All things from models to casts to molds to CGI were used in making Sil come to life. It had to be done even more carefully then just creating a character because not only was this an alien, but an alien that came from a woman played by a live actress.
Alternate Ending – This is a short two and a half minute alternate ending that shows a bit of a different side to Sil’s mating habits and also the relationship between Preston and Laura. It comes with a full description before showing and isn’t bad. Really, either ending would have worked.
Project Sil Image Files – Still photos from the film and a few production shots as well.
Original Theatrical Trailer
Species 4: The Awakening Sneak Peek
The Inside Pulse
This is the third time on DVD for Species and a good bit of the quality and special features from the 2004 “special edition” have found their way onto this “collector’s edition. Still, the “making of” featurette and others on this DVD really make it all worthwhile. The film itself isn’t much to write home about as you can also tell by the soon to be released direct-to-DVD fourth installment with not a single cast member from the original. That’s what happens when you get hot women in films that randomly show a little skin and mix it with ass-kicking aliens. If you’re a fan of the film and have never picked up a copy for some reason, go with this one. For those of you that have never checked it out before, try a rental first and see if you fit into the cult following group many others have fallen into. And if you’re looking for some pick-up lines ladies, then I really suggest picking up a copy because nothing says loving like “Don’t go, I want a baby!”
