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“Three years ago, entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler genetically created an insect to kill cockroaches carrying a virulent disease. Now, the insects are out to destroy their only predator, mankind.”
Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, ‘Mimic’ is a throw back movie similar in tone to invasion of the body snatchers. Due to studio interference by Miramax (Harvery Weinstein), Del Toro’s vision undermined and questioned, often being asked to ‘make it more scary’ and less cerebral or suffer being fired from the job. Which is hardly surprising as Weinstein is often cited as being a childish bully. To the point where Del Toro was deliberately trying to make each shot interesting visually so he at least could show future potential investers that the movie wasn’t a complete disaster should he be dismissed.
This was Del Toro’s second feature film. Coming from an independent world where you are often in charge of your own fate with no overseers looking over your shoulder, questioning every shot and dime spent. In a lot of ways it was a baptism of fire and one that nearly broke his fledgling career. Indeed Del Toro would state that if it wasn’t for Mira Sorvino he would have been dismissed and his career might not be what it is today.
The movie starts off brightly enough as an outbreak of cockroaches carrying stricklers disease cripples New York, causing kids to get seriously ill. With no chance of therapeutics or a vaccine the CDC is tasked with solving the crisis. Dr Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) engineers a noval solution ‘the judas breed’, designed to erradicate the cockroach population and take with it the disease that is killing children. Cut to three years later with stricklers disease in the rear view mirror, a new breed of predator creeps up from the depths..
It’s a visually interesting film, there are echoes of other films like the relic and aliens but it has its own sensibility. There are hints of Del Toros work there but they are sporadicaly scattered throughout it. The film has more of a B movie aesthetic than I would imagine the original concept to have been so there is a sense incoherence and jump cutting.
Characterwise the movie doesn’t fair very well, they are stock tropes there just to service the story rather than enhance it. Sorvino turning in Ripley lite; tortured by frankenstein syndrome when her creation has a life of its own. Jeremy Northam doesn’t fair so well he struggles to get to grips with an unruly american accent and a character that is just beyond his grasp.
But really are you watching a movie like this for the characters? in truth its the monsters, the situations and the creep factor. The effects are good created by Rob Bottin (The thing); slimey and grim. However, it isn’t particularily scary but it does have a selection of effective set pieces.
With far too many contrivances and convenient set ups the movie descends into silliness by the end. You are left questioning what could have been without studio interference.. but such is the long history of commerce versus creativity in the movie business. Oftentimes what could have been is the moniker for just ok or passable when it had the potential to be good or great.