Film Review: Mimic

About Mimic (1997)Three years after creating the Judas breed – a new species of insect – in order to wipe out plague-carrying cockroaches, Dr Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) worries that the breed may have evolved. Along with her husband Peter (Jeremy Northam) and their assistant Josh (Josh Brolin), they travel the subways looking for Judas specimens. Meanwhile, 8-year-old Chuy disappears after investigating shadowy figures at the local chapel, and his grandfather Manny sets out to track him down. Both Manny and Susan make a terrible discovery – the Judas insects have developed the ability to take on human form, and are now set to destroy mankind.

Starring: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Alexander Goodwin, Giancarlo Giannini, Charles S. Dutton

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Runtime: 105 minutes

Studio: Dimension

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Review: Mimic 

An earlier effort from director Guillermo del Toro, Mimic begins with a deadly disease that is killing children in Manhattan and is coming from cockroaches. Entomologist Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) is called in and with her husband Peter Mann (Jeremy Northam) develops Judas Breed, a large insect that secretes an enzyme to kill the roaches. The species is not designed to last and successfully halts the spread of the disease. Three years later people begin to go missing in the subways beneath Manhattan and it soon becomes apparent that Susan’s creations are still very much alive.

Susan is initially hailed as a heroine for her pioneering work that saves the children of Manhattan. However, just three years later a shadowy figure is walking the streets and people are being murdered. When two youths bring an insect they’ve found in the subway to Susan she does some tests and finds that the Judas Breed is stil around and that they have evolved. Giant insects now roam the subways and sewers and it is down to Susan, Peter and a small group to take them out. Not only are people being killed, they are now on the insect’s menu. The insects have also evolved in another more alarming manner.

Del Toro is said to have not been fully satisfied with the end product here. As a sci-fi/horror flick, Mimic has some effective moments in what is a familiar storyline. The descent into the subways and beyond are a great setting as the group infiltrate the nest of the Judas Breed. The cast are all okay, doing all that is required of them but by the end there are no major surprises with the outcome and the final reels are somewhat predictable.

Mimic is a fairly standard horror film that has an interesting story and some pretty tense moments in its favour. It doesn’t have anything particularly new to offer though and the concluding segments, while action-packed, are not especially gripping.

Verdict: 3/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

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