Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Species IV---The Awakening ( * 1/2), December 14, 2007
SPECIES IV is undoubtedly the weakest of the four movies in the SPECIES canon, an unrated direct-to-video release that, like all one-a-half-star movies is both very good and very bad at the same time.
The lovely, luminescent and incredibly blonde Helena Mattsson plays Miranda, the half-human, half-alien creature. Ms. Mattson is far more reminiscent of Nicole Kidman than Natasha Henstridge from the original SPECIES. Her acting is fine, but not arrestingly good.
SPECIES 4 falls down simply because it's essentially a retread.
Miranda, a gifted college professor, is under the watchful eye of her Uncle Tom (Ben Cross), in reality the genetic scientist who created her from a mix of female creature DNA and human female DNA. He has never told her who and what she is. Miranda falls ill. Her illness causes her feral aspects to become dominant. Uncle Tom tries desperately to cure her, resorting to some very questionable tactics to do so. The ethical Miranda is outraged, but as her disease progresses, her humanity slips away and she becomes increasingly predatory, seeking to mate and kill. Not much else needs to be said. It's SPECIES redux.
SPECIES 4 is well-made but limited, an unremarkable film that nonetheless holds the viewer's attention and entertains despite it's predictability.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Terrible in every way, October 14, 2007
While new star Helena Mattsson will most likely take your breath away, there is absolutely nothing else in "Species: The Awakening" to keep your interest for more than five minutes. As a big fan of the original Species and to a lesser degree its first sequel, it's painful to watch these straight to video sequels turn the series in to straight up sci-fi cheese. Every trace of intelligence the series once had has been flushed away with the past two "films". "Species: The Awakening" is simply a boring, poorly acted, poorly scripted piece of garbage with terrible "rubber suit" special effects and laughably bad dialog. Even beautiful women like the aforementioned Helena Mattson can no longer save this series from imploding on itself. Sil would be turning over in her grave.....
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Sexy can't save this movie..., November 26, 2007
I've been a fan of Science Fiction for almost as long as I've been alive. It was my mother who got me started all those years ago with the original Star Trek series, and to this day, despite that I've grown to enjoy many other genre's, I still am a fan of science Fiction, and I will be until the day I pass on to the next life.
Also, due to a series of genetic defects that runs rampant in my bloodline, which fortunately for myself and my son, doesn't affect either of us, I've been quite interested in genetics and the human genome.
To top it off, for decades, SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence) has been searching the skies for signs of non-human intelligence.
Back in 1995, a science fiction film starring a newcomer named Natasha Henstridge, and co-starring a list of popular actors (Ben Kingsley, Forrest Whitaker, Michael Madsen and Alfred Molina) hit the silver screen.
This film was called Species and put all three of these topics together in a sexy, scary, well crafted tale of the potential end of humanity as the dominant species on Earth.
To make things better, the legendary H. R. Geiger (who created the xenomorph that has become part of our popular culture, the original Alien), was contracted to create the alien hybrid of this movie, Sil.
The movie has since spawned three additional sequels, each getting worse and worse as the storyline progresses and this review is about the latest entry into the franchise called Species: The Awakening.
In one aspect, it's sort of a morality fable, about keeping secrets from those close to you, and that messing with things best left alone always has dire consequences.
But when it comes right down to it, this movie was simply a money grab from the studios.
Sadly, it barely fits the bill of science fiction, secondly, the whole genetic aspect was a joke, and finally - I don't think SETI was even mentioned in the movie.
To be sure, the main actress Helena Mattson was exceptionally attractive, although her acting skills left a great deal to be desired. Still, I've seen worse - from several of the supporting actor in the movie itself.
The movie, hell, the franchise sells itself on sex. Beautiful women, running around naked, trying to seduce men so that they can procreate and start an invasion of the planet.
That just doesn't cut it.
Most people, myself included, need a good plot and halfway decent acting, with some neat effects thrown in for good measure.
Ok the movie had some cool effects, as the alien hybrids were very well done, but the plot was, for the most part, non existent.
And what little plot there was had holes the size of our solar system. I mean, come on, using a combination of alien DNA to clone dead pets and loved ones for money? Alien hybrids running loose in a town in Mexico?
It was quite the joke, even if the writers did attempt to explain things by saying that the hybrid creations were sterile. And then only to have the main hybrid, Miranda, who had to take the genetic material from another woman to survive, suddenly `awaken' and become this alien monster who is now fertile and ready to being the invasion.
The slaughter of many innocent people was toned down, which is a good thing. I've never been a fan of gore for the sake of gore, and even the nudity was lacking compared to the other movies.
If the movie had one thing going for it, it was the effects. But, as many people know, good effects don't make for a good movie. And even now the effects were pretty blasé compared to major Hollywood productions. What do you expect for a direct to video shoe string movie though?
Not much, that's for damned sure.
Do yourself a favour, take my review for what it's worth. Don't waste your time on this movie unless you can see it for free, or can pick it up for cheap at your local rental store. Save your money for a real movie, or if you need to see the any of this franchise, rent or buy the original movie and watch it over again.
1 out of 5
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