Species II (1998)

User Rating:

3.8/10   

Director:

Peter Medak

Writers (WGA):

Dennis Feldman (characters)
Chris Brancato (written by)

Release Date:

10 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

There is life on Mars...and now it's here.

Plot:

Mykelti Williamson and Justin Lazard are a pair of astronauts who make the first successful manned mission to Mars...

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Mars | Astronaut | Sex | Second Part

Cast

Michael Madsen	...	Press Lenox
Natasha Henstridge	...	Eve
Marg Helgenberger	...	Dr. Laura Baker
Mykelti Williamson	...	Dennis Gamble
George Dzundza	...	Colonel Carter Burgess Jr
James Cromwell	...	Senator Judson Ross
Justin Lazard	...	Patrick Ross
Myriam Cyr	...	Anne Sampas
Sarah Wynter	...	Melissa
Baxter Harris	...	Dr. Orinsky
Scott Morgan	...	Harry Sampas
Nancy La Scala	...	Debutante
Raquel Gardner	...	Debutante's Sister
Henderson Forsythe	...	Pentagon Personnel
Robert Hogan	...	Pentagon Personnel

Also Known As:

Species 2: Offspring (USA) (working title)
Species 2: Origins (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, sci-fi violence/gore and language.

Runtime:

93 min | Spain:89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:18 | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Singapore:R21 (re-rating) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Edward Asner was going to play Dr. Herman Cromwell but dropped out.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: A close up of Eve reveals a pulse when she is seemingly dead in the ambulance. However, Eve is actually still alive at this point, as is revealed in the sequel, Species III.

Quotes:

[Press, Baker, and Gamble stare at the alien cocoons]
Dr. Laura Baker: Jesus Christ!
Press Lenox: Welcome to the Maternity Ward... from HELL.
Dr. Laura Baker: Patrick's offspring.
Press Lenox: I'm gonna go here and see if I can take a look.
Dr. Laura Baker: Press, it's not Eve's fault. She's also human too.
Press Lenox: Like them.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L.A. Without a Map (1998)

C'mon—it's fun, gory and it's got loads of boobs in it... what's not to like?

A team of astronauts, returning from a trip to Mars, are attacked by an organism that oozes out of a soil sample taken from the red planet's surface; after blacking out for seven minutes, they awaken, unable to recall what has happened to them.

Once back on Earth, the astronauts are subjected to several tests; whilst checking the blood sample from Captain Ross (Justin Lazard), the team leader, a scientist is mysteriously killed. When the dead man's body is examined, DNA is found which is similar to that of Eve, a human/alien hybrid (Natasha Henstridge) that has been created in a top-secret laboratory (from the same batch of embryos that resulted in Sil from the original Species movie).

It seems that one (or more) of the crew of the recent Mars mission is host to an alien, and unless they are captured, they will endeavour to procreate ASAP with as many partners as possible.

Species II has a very silly story, with some particularly daft plot turns (Eve learns to drive from watching The Dukes of Hazzard!), but with lashings of quality gore (including several gruesome alien births and a shotgun blast to the head), better alien effects than the first film, and even more nudity, this sequel is still very enjoyable and worth watching if you liked the original.

Michael Madsen returns as tough-guy Press, along with Marg Helgenberger as science bod Laura Baker, and also turning up for the fun is the ever reliable James Cromwell as the senator father of space hero Captain Ross.

If you're in the mood for some undemanding mindless sci-fi horror, then check out Species II—it's not as bad as a lot of people seem to think!