Mutant Species (1995)

A rocket containing bio-hazardous material to be disposed of by launching into space crashes in a remote wooded area. An army team is sent to recover it. One of the men is infected and ... See full summary »

Director:

David A. Prior

Writers:

Patrick Francis (story), David A. Prior (story),

Stars:

Leo Rossi, Ted Prior, Denise Crosby

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leo Rossi	...	Hollinger
Ted Prior	...	Trotter
Denise Crosby	...	Carol-Anne
Grant Gelt	...	Jordie
Powers Boothe	...	Frost
Wilford Brimley	...	Devro
Grant James	...	Senator Roberts
Jackson Bostwick	...	Tex (A-Team)
Jack Forcinito	...	Jones (A-Team) (as Jack Verell)
Mark Krasnoff	...	Lorenzo (A-Team)
Jimmy Steger	...	Willie (A-Team)
Ronald McCall	...	McCall (A-Team)
Douglas M. Griffin	...	Spivak (A-Team)
Patrick F. Gallagher	...	Team Leader - B-Team
Jeffery Graham	...	Sizer (B-Team)

Storyline

A rocket containing bio-hazardous material to be disposed of by launching into space crashes in a remote wooded area. An army team is sent to recover it. One of the men is infected and mutates into a monster, killing most of the rest of the team. One man escapes with the help of a brother & sister who live in the woods. He then tries to stop his former buddy, while also fighting against another army team sent in to destroy everything. The bio-material was supposed to create a super-soldier, was banned, and the crash of the rocket appears to have been deliberate so the experiment could proceed. But who is behind it all? And will others be infected?

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Plot Keywords:

mutant | soldier | gene manipulation | toxic waste | independent film

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Taglines:

How Does It Feel To Be Next?

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 January 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bio-Force

Filming Locations:

Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,750,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Southern Star Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David A. Prior originally wanted Arnold Schwarzenegger as Lt. Hollinger, Jean-Claude Van Damme as Trotter, Michael Ironside as Frost, Dee Wallace Stone as Carol-Anne, and Bill Duke as McCall. However the studio felt they would cost too much, so they settled with a lower rent cast.

User Reviews

A fascinating piece of drivel?!

What is the "Bio-Force 1?" The Bio-Force 1 is described as a biological mutant DNA strain. This peculiar brand of DNA is more of a virus though. It is virulent enough to infect almost any living being that comes in remote contact with this DNA strain. The symptoms of this powerful disease include homicidal impulses and an uncontrollable rage... The Bio-Force 1 also happens to be America's newest top secret weapon...

However, when this scientific experiment goes ballistic, the military has no choice but to detain this mutated DNA strain. For the sake of National Security, a rocket carrying the entire Bio-Force 1 canister has been launched, its destination: the moon. Unfortunately, this is when circumstances get much worse...

The rocket carrying the Bio-Force 1 malfunctions and explodes spontaneously. A group of marines have been sent in to retrieve the Bio-Force 1 weapon hidden amidst the remnants of the ill-fated experiment. Lt. Walter Hollinger (Leo Rossi) and Lt. Jason Trotter (Ted Prior) have been called to clean up the mess made by the government. Hollinger in particular, has been given specific orders to make sure that the canister containing the Bio-Force 1 remains intact...but for what reason? As for the rest of the soldiers, their mission perimeters are not exactly clear either...

Meanwhile, Frost (Powers Boothe) the brains behind this whole operation quarrels with a veteran General (Wilford Brimley) about the purpose of Bio-Force 1. Frost ideally sees this Bio-Force 1 as the weapon of the future. Brimley, on the other hand, opposes this entire Bio-Force concept. Here, the audience is introduced to Wilford Brimley's nice and ingenious sense of humor as a conscious military General who constantly opposes Frost's "pet project." Powers Boothe here, plays it straight as the conceiver and inventor of the Bio-Force 1.

Hollinger discovers that he is indeed the guinea pig for the Bio-Force 1 experiment. Right in front of his fellow marines' eyes, Hollinger gradually mutates into a deformed monster...thirsty for blood... Only Trotter can outsmart this venomous beast...but he will need some assistance from a bystander (Denise Crosby), and her teenage brother (Grant Gelt)...

Yep, MUTANT SPECIES was one of those "so ludicrous it's funny" type thrillers. For one, the rubber-costumed monster with phony foam latex make-up is ravenously laughable! Even more hysterical is having Leo Rossi (known for his "wise guy" type roles) mistakenly cast against type as a military officer who transforms into a hideous creature, stalking his victims in the nightfall. MUTANT SPECIES has mostly unmemorable dialogue, and the characters in this film are one-dimensional and insignificant. In other words, MUTANT SPECIES is simply a terrible movie.

MUTANT SPECIES has by far, some of the WORST production values in history. (e.g. This film blatantly relies on stock footage for a scene involving a rocket about to blast-off.) Also, although the cast is capable, the script is inadequate and the monster again looks very miserable.

MUTANT SPECIES tried to make a statement about the evils of technology; however this movie is nothing more than a monster-on-the-rampage film. This bombastic feature sounds a lot more intriguing than it looks. This film is a terminally bland piece of opus.

In spite of the errors and foibles in MUTANT SPECIES, there is an adroit action scene or two directed and the cast tried their best with a tight budget and an inconvenient production design. By no means is MUTANT SPECIES a well-made film in the slightest sense, but the decent pace and a fun premise save this film from total obscurity.

RATING: *1/2 out of ****.