A creepy opening title sequence introduces director Guillermo del Toro’s second feature film: Mimic. With rapidly cut shots of roaches, butterflies, eyeballs, pins, tattered papers and children’s faces, the mood is set for a dark, gory horror flick full of jump scares, gooey makeup effects (including a gruesome autopsy) and creepy-crawlies. It’s not the most original monster movie, but it’s well paced and takes itself seriously.

A new epidemic attacks Manhattan Island, demanding quarantine and a desperate solution. Entomologist and “bug lady” Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) and deputy director of the CDC Dr. Peter Mann (Jeremy Northam) are called in to join forces with genetics labs across the country to create the Judas Breed, a new species of insect that can kill the common cockroaches that carry the deadly “Strickler’s” disease. The new bug is only supposed to have a lifespan of six months and has an incredible effectiveness rate.

Three years later, the two doctors are married. Susan still works as a scientist, studying insects and occasionally buying specimens brought to her by two kids that frequent the subway tunnels under the city. When they bring her a live critter with the same genetic makeup as the supposedly extinct Judas Breed, she discovers that instead of dying off, they’ve mutated and bred. Now, a large colony of monstrous insects is killing off unsuspecting people, starting with an Asian reverend. Susan also thinks she’s being stalked by a tall, dark-robed man, while the police begin investigating mysterious disappearances. The only witness to the attacks is an autistic boy, Chuy (Alexander Goodwin), always accompanied by his father Manny (Giancarlo Giannini).

Mimic, above all else, is a monster movie, mixing slasher violence with sci-fi/alien suspense. When the creature is finally revealed, it’s a tad underwhelming, mainly because of the dated computer graphics used for the full-body shots. Many later scenes more creatively use practical effects for close-ups, including partially constructed rubbery appendages to lash out in the dark. Scenes in the lighted subway station can’t conceal the less convincing animation. The atmospheric settings are the most spectacular element of Mimic, perfectly utilizing flickering tunnels, moist walkways, noisy air vents, oversized biohazard suits with raspy breathing apparatuses, and murky flashlight beams. The attention to environmental details is exceptional.

“They won’t attack you if they think you’re one of them!” In one of the most unique scenes, a group of survivors trapped in a subway car must hilariously douse themselves in insect fluids to mask their scent. One of the members, Charles S. Dutton, is a subway cop caught up aiding the two scientists as they investigate the insect breeding grounds, and does an excellent job of looking and acting shocked and frightened. A young Josh Brolin also makes an appearance as a detective, memorably complaining about the copious amounts of feces he must scrape from tunnel ceilings, along with F. Murray Abraham as a doctor, marking an unlikely reunion with Mira Sorvino from Mighty Aphrodite. Mimic isn’t afraid to feature the violent deaths of children, the classic separating of party members, egg sacs, goo, nasty wounds, and dead bodies. Many of the characters and situations are equivalent to ideas in Aliens, and a few of the survival tactics are contrived, but many of the thrills are genuine – save for the general setup, which follows the 1988 Roger Corman movie The Nest a little too closely. But Mimic is still a decent little thriller and creature feature from a promising filmmaker.

- Mike Massie

 

Audiences will experience High Definition thrills as Lionsgate debuts Guillermo Del Toro's never-before-seen director's cut of Mimic, available for the very first time anywhere, on 1080P High Definition Blu-ray Disc. This all new cut of the film, featuring seven minutes of restored footage, introduces subtle character moments that transform Mimic into a film that Del Toro fans and newcomers alike will embrace as the definitive version. Containing new bonus materials created especially for this release, the disc includes audio commentary and a video prologue from Del Toro plus three featurettes; a look at the creatures from the film, a behind-the-scenes retrospective on the shooting of Mimic and Del Toro discussing his vision of the film and how he completed this version, as well as deleted scenes, a gag reel and storyboard animatics.

ALL NEW BLU-RAY DISC SPECIAL FEATURES*

· Video Prologue with director Guillermo del Toro- NEW

· Audio commentary with director/co-writer Guillermo Del Toro - NEW

· "Reclaiming Mimic" featurette - NEW

· "A Leap In Evolution - The Creatures of Mimic" featurette - NEW

· "Back Into The Tunnels - Shooting Mimic" featurette - NEW

· Deleted scenes - NEW

· Storyboard animatics - NEW

· Gag reel - NEW

· Theatrical Trailer

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