*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
I'd seen this when it came out in 1997 and had mixed feelings - not knowing the director that Del Toro would evolve into. Having seen his newer films, I decided to revisit this. I still feel the same. The main issue is the script. Character believability and the ease with which certain problems are resolved - is central to the problem. Whether it's effectively powering up an ancient subway system with a pair of eyeglass frames or surviving the vortex of a monster gas explosion that manages to kill almost everything else...plausibility suffers badly in the third act. That being said...there is much to be scared of here. There are many great moments and tensely directed scenes - unfortunately, they are often broken up by ham-fisted writing and the aforementioned convenient solutions. I loved the creature FX, production design - and the cinematography was solid. I wonder how much control Del Toro had on this film and if studio interference might have played a role in the neatly resolved finale. To Del Toro's credit, he has gone on to make much better films. In truth, there is a much better film within Mimic.
I'd seen this when it came out in 1997 and had mixed feelings - not knowing the director that Del Toro would evolve into. Having seen his newer films, I decided to revisit this. I still feel the same. The main issue is the script. Character believability and the ease with which certain problems are resolved - is central to the problem. Whether it's effectively powering up an ancient subway system with a pair of eyeglass frames or surviving the vortex of a monster gas explosion that manages to kill almost everything else...plausibility suffers badly in the third act. That being said...there is much to be scared of here. There are many great moments and tensely directed scenes - unfortunately, they are often broken up by ham-fisted writing and the aforementioned convenient solutions. I loved the creature FX, production design - and the cinematography was solid. I wonder how much control Del Toro had on this film and if studio interference might have played a role in the neatly resolved finale. To Del Toro's credit, he has gone on to make much better films. In truth, there is a much better film within Mimic.