Charles S. Dutton is no stranger to ugly predatory creatures. He dealt with equally, if not more formidable creatures in "Alien 3". Instead of aliens, this time Dutton has to contend with mutated overgrown bugs that try to mimic human beings. These bugs were the result of human tampering (as so many genetic mutation movies are).
There was a deadly disease called Strickler's Disease that struck the island of Manhattan and it was carried by the common cockroach. Since roaches are impervious to nearly any form of poison, an entomologist created a new weapon to kill them. Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) created something called the Judas Breed which was a cross between termites and mantids which she released into the cockroach hub to let them do their thing. They were designed to kill cockroaches and die out in six months. Three years after the city's children were saved from Strickler's they had something new to contend with: man-sized predatory bugs.
This Guillermo Del Toro written and directed film was his second in the U.S. market. Not bad Guillermo, not bad at all. He built up the suspense of these creatures until he got us to a scene in which four people were alive and trapped in an old subway car. He did opt for cliché by killing the two most obvious and allowing to live the two most obvious candidates. He killed the old shoeshine man (Giancarlo Giannini) and the MTA cop (Dutton) (Black guys hardly ever survive horror movies if they're in one). Naturally, Dr. Tyler lived (damsel in distress) and her husband lived (they were trying to have a baby so you can't kill her spouse).
Even with the predictability it was an intense film. The bugs were cinematically excellent--the way they looked, the way they moved. The dire situation the group of hostages were in (as in being trapped by the bugs) was bone chilling and the final act to destroy them was tremendous. Del Toro ended it a bit sappy, but I guess he has to reach the more tender of his target audience.
There was a deadly disease called Strickler's Disease that struck the island of Manhattan and it was carried by the common cockroach. Since roaches are impervious to nearly any form of poison, an entomologist created a new weapon to kill them. Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) created something called the Judas Breed which was a cross between termites and mantids which she released into the cockroach hub to let them do their thing. They were designed to kill cockroaches and die out in six months. Three years after the city's children were saved from Strickler's they had something new to contend with: man-sized predatory bugs.
This Guillermo Del Toro written and directed film was his second in the U.S. market. Not bad Guillermo, not bad at all. He built up the suspense of these creatures until he got us to a scene in which four people were alive and trapped in an old subway car. He did opt for cliché by killing the two most obvious and allowing to live the two most obvious candidates. He killed the old shoeshine man (Giancarlo Giannini) and the MTA cop (Dutton) (Black guys hardly ever survive horror movies if they're in one). Naturally, Dr. Tyler lived (damsel in distress) and her husband lived (they were trying to have a baby so you can't kill her spouse).
Even with the predictability it was an intense film. The bugs were cinematically excellent--the way they looked, the way they moved. The dire situation the group of hostages were in (as in being trapped by the bugs) was bone chilling and the final act to destroy them was tremendous. Del Toro ended it a bit sappy, but I guess he has to reach the more tender of his target audience.